The North Eastern Hockey League has grown from humble
beginnings to become a significant part of the Greater Sudbury Area hockey
scene. As with most minor hockey organizations, the ultimate championship
at stake every year is that of the most senior, in this case, the Major
Midget ‘A’ Division, which is seen as the culmination of the
development of players over the years.
This year, that
ultimate championship was earned by the happy faces of the group of
competitors in the photo, namely,
Valley East
’s Bran Kor Trophies who defeated Nickel Centre in the finals.
But, according to head coach, Dan Ross, who has been involved in
coaching minor hockey for over 20 years, this was much more than just a
hockey championship, “This was a group of young boys that were put
together during a draft of all of the eligible players available in
September to form one of five different Valley East teams that all played
in the North Eastern Hockey League. There was nothing special about these
boys when they were selected, but as the year progressed, I could tell
that this was not just another team. This turned into the kind of ‘Dream
Team’ that I doubt I will ever see again.”
In
fact, they were not even considered to be the strongest of the
Valley East
clubs in the beginning. However, after several practices and games, and
after a lot of strategic planning, Ross and his coaching staff was able to
find the right mix to create a hockey club that “believed in themselves
and believed in a system”. That
system revolved around defense first and taking advantage of opportunities
as they presented themselves.
“We showed the
players that if they concentrated on defense, and really focused on
preventing goals, the opportunities would come to score themselves,”
explained Ross, who as a martial arts instructor lives by the philosophy
of focusing on defense as opposed to offense, but when it comes to going
on the attack, it is best to use your opponents strength to his
disadvantage. “We then made sure that the system was air tight in
defending our own zone. When we got over the red line, we turned the boys
loose. As a result we were very successful, and as the season progressed
the players just seemed to jell. It has been a remarkable journey!”
Their
season record is indeed amazing! First place during the regular season and
round-robin playoffs followed up with the championship banner. Gold medal
winners of three tournaments at Verner, Capreol and in the prestigious
Renagades. The final icing on the season will be a tournament in
Scarborough
on Easter Weekend.
Besides
head coach, Dan Ross, the rest of the management team included: Assistant
Coach, Scott Forbes; Trainer, Bob Bertrand; Manager, Bob Belerose; and
Assistant Manager, Lynda Flintoff.
