Building a team brick by Brick
It has been five years since the Blind River Beavers have had a winning season and the small-town Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League franchise has changed direction as it seeks a return to better days and competitive ways.
Having missed the playoffs and finishing 11th overall in the 12-team NOJHL in 2015-2016, the Beavers decided to part company with coach-general manager Brad Barton and his entourage after one season.
And in assembling an all-new hockey department, the Beavers went local after bringing in Barton et al from southern Ontario a year ago.
Blind River resident and team volunteer Dennis Lawrence is the general manager while a pair of nearby Thessalon products with an NOJHL background will debut as Beavers coaches.
30-year old Kyle Brick, who is finishing up a two-year hitch as an assistant with the two-time NOJHL champion Soo Thunderbirds, is the Beavers new bench boss.
And 25-year old Dylan King, who played a single season in the NOJHL with the Thunderbirds before moving on to a four-year Ontario Hockey League career as a durable defenseman with the Soo Greyhounds, will be an assistant under Brick.
A social worker by trade, Brick has moved on from that profession to take on the full-time job of coaching and recruiting players for the Beavers. And the day he was officially named new coach of the Beavers — about three weeks ago — he was at work on behalf of his new team.
To be sure, Brick has a plan in place as he strives to revive the fortunes of the Beavers in Milltown.
“To be honest, the first thing that needs to be done is to change the culture surrounding the team,” Brick told HockeyNewsNorth.com. “In talking to players and individuals connected to the Beavers, losing has become acceptable.
“It’s going to be a process to turn things around,” Brick continued. “But we are going to embrace the process as part of a bigger plan and push forward with our vision.”
Brick said that in meeting with the Beavers new board of directors and team followers at the recent annual general meeting in Blind River, he unveiled his plans.
“Basically what I said at the meeting was those who follow and support the Beavers have a right to be skeptical given what has gone on the past few years,” Brick revealed. “Then I said, first I will tell you what I plan on doing. Then I am going to show you.”
In taking the Beavers head-coaching job and leaving the security of a career with the Canadian Mental Health Association, Brick said he is “chasing a dream. I am 30-years old now and there is something about this opportunity to get into hockey full time. It’s something that I have thought a lot about.”
The past two seasons in particular have not been enjoyable ones for Blind River as the Beavers lost all 60 games in 2014-2015 before improving to a 10-victory campaign in 2015-2016 — which as previously noted, was still only 11th-best in the 12-team NOJHL.
But despite being a small-market franchise that operates in a gritty Highway 17 town of 3,500 that is halfway between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury, the Beavers had six winning seasons in a seven-year span between 2004 and 2011. Which goes to show that the Beavers can be successful in the Blind River market.
Meanwhile, Brick said that he has talked to the board of directors, which includes aforementioned new GM Lawrence, about re-connecting with fans from the better days of 2004 to 2011 and giving an opportunity for more local area hockey players to suit up for the Beavers.
“There is no reason why we can’t at least have local kids as our depth players,” Brick said evenly. “Why bring in players from the southern United States if we have local players who can fill a role on our team?”
Good question.
Brick by brick, the new coach in Blind River is determined to build a better Beaver dam.
PHOTO: Kyle Brick has a plan as the new head coach of the Blind River Beavers.
Nice piece of positive writing RR . Let me say that I am willing to give the Beavers another Chance by supporting them ; how ever this losing has to stop or they will lose even more Fans.
There are some good players to build around such as Murray, Uhl and the Khull boys.
Kyle seems to have the right attitude about what needs to be done ie “changing the culture”.
Good Luck Bricker.
Great things are happening. As a Beaver parent, so excited for next season!
Kyle is a joke. good luck.
It sure is obvious that good ole R.R. has a soft spot in his heart for Blind River. I hope that the Blind River can at least be competatave once again. Good Luck to the Blind River Beavers!
Agree 100 % about having some good Players to build the team around such as Matt Murry who I see as becoming one of the Top Dmen in the NOJ next year.
Kyle is a joke ??? ???
Why would some gutless dick even post something like this I wonder ??? ???
Personaly .. .. I am looking forward to Coach Brick comming to Blind River and putting some pride back in our Junior hockey program.
Bybypolitics,
Take your negativity about Mr Brick and shove it.
Give the young man a chance, you will be surprised at the outcome.
Beavers have been put down to long, they are now trying to regroup with these young men, can only improve over last season.
As a loyal fan I am looking forward to this season.
Go Beavers Go