Young pups of the Soo

By Randy Russon
August 24, 2018
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Call it a rebuild. Call it a youth movement. Whatever the words or phrase may be, the 2018-2019 version of the Soo Greyhounds will be decidedly different from the 2017-2018 edition.

Gone, by way of graduation, are a plethora of key cogs from the Greyhound team of 2017-2018 that piled up 116 points from a regular season record of 55-7-6 before losing to the Hamilton Bulldogs in the OHL championship playoff finals.

And while the Greyhounds do stand to return a smattering of third and fourth year players for 2018-2019, a number of skaters who played secondary roles as rookies in 2017-2018 will be asked to step up this season.

Following are seven rookies from 2017-2018 who will be vying for increased ice time and bigger roles in 2018-2019.

Ryan Roth. The 2000 birth year right winger led all Greyhound rookie forwards in scoring in 2017-2018 with 15 goals, 18 assists, 33 points in 68 regular season games. He then added four points in 24 playoff outings.

Joe Carroll. A 2001 birth year left winger with good size, Carroll netted 9 goals, 9 assists, 18 points in 53 regular season games and added four points in 24 playoff matches.

Cole MacKay. A Sault Ste. Marie product, the 2001 birth year right winger managed 5 goals, 9 assists, 14 points in 42 regular season games. MacKay then got into 17 playoff games and scored a goal.

Brett Jacklin. The 2000 birth year right winger played in 49 regular season games and clicked for 4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points. He then appeared in 11 playoff games and went point-less.

Zack Trott. A 2000 birth year left winger, Trott had 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points in 38 regular season games. He then dressed for 22 of the Hounds 24 playoff games, though he did not pick up a point.

Holden Wale. The 2000 birth year defenseman had 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points in 37 regular season games and then went point-less in 6 playoff outings.

Phil Caron. Hailing from the northeastern Ontario town of Timmins, Caron had 2 assists in 24 regular season games. The pint sized, 2000 birth year defenseman then got into 4 playoff contests but did not figure in on the score sheet.

Of note, it says a lot about the prowess of Greyhound general manager Kyle Raftis and his scouts in how they landed the aforementioned seven players.

Wale was a fourth round pick at the 2016 OHL draft, Carroll was a fourth round pick in 2017, MacKay was a fifth round pick in 2017, Jacklin was a 10th round pick in 2016, Trott was a 14th round pick in 2016 and Roth and Caron both made the team as free agent invitees in 2017.

PHOTO: Rookie forwards Brett Jacklin, Zack Trott and Joe Carroll of the Soo Greyhounds celebrate a goal on London Knights goaltender Joseph Raaymakers during the 2017-2018 Ontario Hockey League season.