A season of injuries and not having a consistently full lineup tested the mettle of the 2021-22 Wingham Ironmen.
GM Cory Hamilton, stepping into the front office from the bench, is hoping this year is blessed with some better health for a lineup that still has a lot of talent and veteran savvy. A 5th place finish last season was a testament to how well the team played under Hamilton, who will be replaced as bench boss by long-time assistant, Dawson Smith, who will have the benefit of a great returning cast and some intriguing new faces who should help the Ironmen compete for a Pollock Division title.
The Ironmen will definitely miss the all around game and gritty play of Tanner Reid, who won't be retained as one of the 4 allowable over-agers. Austin McKeachnie will also not be back, along with a late addition last year, Josh Lorenz, who also won't return. Jacob Rauser is also not coming back. Most of those players were depth pieces, and the Ironmen will be pleased to welcome back a tremendous cast of veterans to the team this year.
Up front, it all starts with last season's leading scorer, Kyle Stanbury (45 points), a career Ironmen who has done everything and more for the team during his career. Stanbury was a force last year, sniping 24 times and delivering impact play across the ice sheet for Wingham. He will be a massive part of this year's team's success, and is a player capable of putting a team on his back in clutch moments. Joining him is another Ironmen vet and key force in Matt Toltan (24 points), who is a special teams monster and physical leader who sets the intensity and tone for the team.
Austin Becker will also come back and get more responsibility after 8 points in just 21 games. He adds plenty of grit and speed to a team that will welcome his tools on the forecheck. Also, Nate Bloomberg, who was excellent as a rookie last year (16 points) will return and be given every opportunity to become a factor on the power play. Younger brother Noah Bloomberg, who got into 4 games last year, will add forward depth to a team that shouldn't have issues scoring goals.
On the back end, two other over-agers are returning to anchor a very talented and mobile blue line. Jonah Burley led the D in scoring last year (25 points) and offered the team a tried and true power play quarterback who can skate and recover extremely well on defence. He will be joined by the physical presence and defensive rock that is Dawson Fahrer, who only suited up for 18 games last year, and when he was in the lineup, he scared opponents with his booming shot just as much as his booming hits. Those two players provide high end skill on the point for Wingham.
Adding to the blue line will be returning young players in Tayt Bramhill, Turner Mckenzie and Tyson Fischer, young players who all got into a handful of games and will be taking over a bulk of responsibilities in terms of rounding out the D core and taking on special teams duties, most likely on the PK, as the Ironmen usually run a 4 forwards, 1 D setup. We will see how the youngsters adjust to consistent ice time at the Jr. C level.
In goal, the big man that is Garrett Golley will be back to take command of the Wingham crease. Golley's stature isn't big at just 5'10", but his play is monstrous, and he will provide a very reliable wall for a young D core that will surely have their nerves eased by the calming presence of Golley. Golley split starts last year with the now departed Devon Carson, and in 18 starts, Golley went 13-1-1 with a sparkling 1.98 GAA and insane .936 save percentage. He has the ability to "goalie" other teams by simply deciding, "Hey, you're not scoring tonight." His 3 shutouts certainly attest to that, and he's likely going to be a player in the Pollock MVP discussions. His backup this year comes in the form of Will Crump, an '04 born goalie who GM Hamilton says comes highly touted from the Wellesley organization. Crump looks to be an heir apparent, after an incredible season himself last year, going 13-2 with a 1.80 GAA and rock solid .922 save percentage. Wingham, once again, looks to be ready to enjoy another two-headed monster in the crease this year.
A year of even 20 percent better health will go a very long way for Wingham, who have to high end quality, exciting young talent and shut down goaltending to push the very best teams every night. It should be fun to watch what this team can do, led by an always intense and passionate hockey man in Cory Hamilton.
For a full length interview on the upcoming Wingham Ironmen season with GM Cory Hamilton, click below:
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