[ratings]
With the dog days of summer officially over, it’s close to that wonderful time of year where Huntsville residents can once again look forward to the season of hockey. While NHL training camps have yet to open for the big clubs, here at a local level preparations for the upcoming Huntsville Otters schedule are well underway.
Since the departure of Junior ‘A’ hockey from the area in 2012, the emergence of a strong, local Junior ‘C’ team can be described as nothing short of a success. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the microcosm of last season, where the Otters, who came out of the gate with a .500 record through their first 20 contests, found a new gear in their game to go 15-5-0 over the second half of the season and secure a playoff berth in the Georgian Bay Mid Ontario League finals.
Huntsville Otters hopefuls showcase their skills during an open tryout at the Canada Summit Centre
Despite falling four games to two in their opening round matchup against the Schomberg Cougars (who would go on to be swept by the league-champion Alliston Hornets in the Finals), the strong finish has resulted in high expectations for this year’s squad.
“If we don’t come first or second this year, I’ll be pretty disappointed,” Otters General Manager Craig Shaw said simply during an open tryout last week.
Shaw, who is entering his fourth year as GM and 10th year with the team, credits the success of the Otters, and the jump from 9th place all the way up to 3rd in the standings, to the hard work and dedication of his coaching staff. Head Coach Shawn Crozier along with Assistant Coaches Jimmy Purves and Jon Whitelaw were spectacular in developing their players over the course of the year. The trio were recognized on a larger scale for their effort and achievement last season in being selected as the GMOHL Coaches of the Year.
Now, with the majority of the team composed of returning players, the desire and will to win has only intensified. And if attendance has any bearing on how a community feels about a team, it looks like the Otters will be well supported, having drawn the second-highest average attendance in the league last season.
“Our first year, on average we maybe got 200 people and change,” said Shaw. “Last season, it was well over 300. It would be nice to see that over 400 this year.”
Between the amount of raw talent and abundance of local players, including twins Josh and Nathan Zantingh, goaltender Connor Christanson, and 16-year-old standout Andy Baker, it seems like a more-than achievable goal for Shaw and his team.
The Otters pre-season officially kicks off this upcoming weekend with the team travelling to Alliston for a three-day tournament from September 11-13, where the finalized roster will get a first taste of this year’s competition. After the tune-up, the Otters season will begin at the Canada Summit Centre arena on September 18 against Orillia at 8:00 pm.
For more information on the Otters or to order season tickets, please visit their website here.
Great article! My finger pad hit 2 stars but it was meant to be 5, good article!