Let’s celebrate in the Soo


By
May 13, 2018

We have been treated to some fantastic play this past season by coach Drew Bannister, his staff and every one of the players that put on the Ontario Hockey League jersey of the Soo Greyhounds.

I am so proud to say I am a Greyhound alumni!

These guys coached and played their hearts out for our great city. Yes they came up a tad short but not because they didn’t do everything possible to win! That is hockey, that is life!

Greyhound staff and players should hold their heads high, there have been a lot of us who have tried and never reached their heights! You will all look back after the pain fades and know you have learned some great life lessons that you will take with you wherever you go!

It is a very exciting time for our great game in Sault Ste Marie as one of our own, Kyle Dubas, has just been named the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. How great is that!

We should also celebrate and cheer on Paul Maurice, another Soo boy, for the amazing the job that he has done in Winnipeg as head coach of the Jets. Awesome stuff!

Let’s look at what’s right about our hockey and continue to work to improve our youth hockey together. Our coach mentorship program is excited about a summer of helping!

The glass is more than half full, Saultites!!

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of an ongoing series of columns written for Hockey News North by retired National Hockey League player and coach Craig Hartsburg. Hartsburg retired from the game in 2016 after an eventful 27-year coaching career that included 19 seasons in the NHL and successful stints in the Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League. As a player, Hartsburg had a world-class career as an all-star defenseman with both the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL and the erstwhile Minnesota North Stars of the NHL. He was captain of the Greyhounds for two of his three OHL seasons and was captain of the North Stars for seven of his 10 NHL seasons.


What you think about “Let’s celebrate in the Soo”

  1. Take hockey out of the parents hands and control them. Minor hockey is not about kids having fun anymore its about these self biased parents who think nothing about tbeir child but about what they want. We have people who run these leagues but have no backbone to say enough is enough. We used to produce great hockey players from this city cause coaches were aloud to coach but now were pulling out teams and syaff are being ousted by parents. Its embarassing and just not ethical. When i played mynparents dropped me off and never once questioned a coach. Let the coaches coach. What are we teaching our children by degrading, embarassing us volunteers and taking the fun out of teaching. It cost us money to volunteer and nevrr care because we love what we do. These lesgues have ousted all the old coaches with great experience. Give ur heads a shake. You think experience means nothing and we demand discipline. Without discipline you have what we jave now a farce. Wake up.you parents. Get some parenting skills. You may not like the coach because of your attitude but since when are allowed to choose the teachers. Let these coaches coach and you leagues get hockey back from the parents. We as coaches go thru police checks. Clinics snd dpend numerous hours learned to coach your child. Try being grateful and just stsy out of it. Your child isnt going to the nhl at sged 11 or 12. Its supposed to be fun for them. Do you know how many kids faces ive seen so sad cause of their parents losing it in the stands. Grow up its not about you

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