Trappers a step above Hounds
Showing overall structure and discipline, North Bay Trappers have seized first place from the Soo Greyhounds following a three-game, Great North Midget Hockey League weekend showdown.
After the Greyhounds took the opener by a 5-1 margin, the visiting Trappers responded with statement-issuing 5-2 and 7-3 decisions to assume sole possession of top spot in the seven-team Great North loop.
While the two teams gave appearance of being more evenly-matched than the multiple-goal margins of victory, it was North Bay that was full measure for leaving the Soo with four of a possible six points.
Heading into action this week before the Christmas holiday break, North Bay has 41 points from a record of 20-3-1 while the Soo has 39 points from a record of 18-5-3.
The Trappers have now taken four of five games from the Greyhounds this season and hold two games in hand.
North Bay coach Guy Blanchard liked the way the Trappers shook off the opening-game loss to win the next two games of the weekend set.
“We woke up after the first game. We’re coming together as a team but there is still a little ways to go,” Blanchard told HockeyNewsNorth.com.
The Trappers had arrived in the Soo fresh from winning the silver medal at the high-end, Gold Puck Tournament in Waterloo. At the Gold Puck, North Bay took the Oakville Rangers — regarded as one of the best midget teams in Ontario — to overtime in the championship game before losing 3-2.
In the opening game of the weekend set in the Soo, the Greyhounds were clearly better than the Trappers before North Bay showed resolve and returned to its team-oriented system under the steely gaze of coach Blanchard and his assistants.
SCOUTING HOUNDS, TRAPPERS
Wins and losses aside, the Greyhounds and Trappers have considerable combined talent that has scouts representing the Ontario Hockey League, American college ranks and the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League paying close attention.
Three players of note were taken at the 2016 OHL draft — forward Lucas Theriault of the Soo (Niagara IceDogs) and North Bay defensemen Jake Gravelle (Mississauga Steelheads) and Dylan Bond (Saginaw Spirit.)
Several more are projected as OHL picks for the 2017 draft, led by Soo forward Camaryn Baber and North Bay defenseman Payton Vescio. North Bay has a younger team than the Soo with more 2001 birth-year players on its roster.
As for Baber and Vescio, they are not only two of the best 2001 birth-year players in the Great North loop but both stood out against southern Ontario competition at the recent, aforementioned Gold Puck tournament in Waterloo.
Both Baber and Vescio have high-performance, OHL bloodlines.
Baber is the son of former Soo Greyhounds, 1993 Memorial Cup champion right winger Brad Baber while the youngster’s mother, Melissa Holder, is one of the best female hockey players to ever come out of the Sault Ste. Marie area.
Vescio, meanwhile, is the son of Kevin Vescio, who patrolled the blueline for the erstwhile North Bay Centennials from 1982 to 1986 while learning the game from legendary coach Bert Templeton.
And there others — multiple others — from both teams who have the ability to possibly play at the OHL or U.S. college levels or become high-end players in the NOJHL.
Scouts, to be sure, took note of the talent that was on display during the Soo-North Bay games with Lake Superior State Lakers assistant coach Richie Metro and Blind River Beavers head scout/senior advisor Charly Murray among those who were in attendance at John Rhodes Community Centre.
Both teams seemed well-prepared for the weekend series.
The Greyhounds, with coaches Kevin Panco, Dom Deluca and Jim Bergamin and support staff members Dean Corcoran, Richard Alexander and Tracy Alexander, have a group that has collectively spent about 100 years in minor hockey with considerable success to its credit.
The Trapper hockey staff, meanwhile, is led by the aforementioned, 57-year old Blanchard, who has been around the game most of his life.
Besides being a minor hockey coach of many years, Blanchard has also coached in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves and erstwhile North Bay Centennials and Guelph Platers and has multiple NOJHL championships to his credit from his years with the old North Bay Skyhawks.
The veteran Blanchard — who is a member of the North Bay Hockey Hall of Fame — believes in a defense-first system and that is certainly working with the midget Trappers, who have the best goals against average in the GNMHL through 24 games this season.
PHOTO: North Bay Trappers head coach Guy Blanchard. (Photo by Ali Pearson.)
Wonder if the Greyhounds local OHL scout was in attendence?????
The Trappers were the better team in the 2 games that I saw here in the Bay.
Sounds as tho they were the better team in the Sault as well.
Good info Randy!
NB definatly the better team … better disipline to boot.