EL coach “not on hot seat”
Elliot Lake Wildcats general manager Todd Stencill says first-year head coach Corey Bricknell “is not on the hot seat.”
Stencill was responding to a HockeyNewsNorth.com column from Monday that suggested Bricknell might be on the “hot seat” in the wake of the Wildcats record of late.
“The situation is we are a young team with some really good talent that is developing,” said Stencill. “You see them learning the system and they continue to get better every week.
“Over the past couple of weeks we have played top teams like Powassan, Cochrane, Rayside-Balfour and the Soo Thunderbirds and held them to three goals or less. We are a little snake-bitten right now and haven’t had that bounce or two go our way in lot of close games,” Stencill pointed out.
The Wildcats general manager also praised his coach for the work he does with the Wildcats away from the rink.
“There’s a lot more to running a community-based junior hockey club than just being on the ice and Corey has done a great job with the kids, keeping them active within the community and running a good clean program in which we have had no off-ice issues,” Stencill said evenly.
On the ice, Elliot Lake has lost three straight games, has won just one of its last 10 outings and currently has a record of 9-14-1.
The mark is a sharp contrast to the Wildcats record under previous head coach Nathan Hewitt during Elliot Lake’s first two seasons in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
Under Hewitt — who left Elliot Lake after the 2015-2016 campaign for a coaching position within the Ontario university ranks — the Wildcats posted back-to-back records of 38-11-3 and 35-12-7.
Bricknell was subsequently hired to a two-year contract to take over from Hewitt.
This is Bricknell’s second season as a head coach in the NOJHL.
Bricknell spent the 2015-2016 season with the Iroquois Falls Eskis. Under his watch, Iroquois Falls posted a record of 15-39-0 and finished fifth in the NOJHL’s East Division.
No one can stir the pot like good ole RR lol!
They have a good team over there in Elliot but … … we have a better one in Blind!
We actually love the competition this year with the Beavers. Much better than the previous two years. This year with the new coaching staff the Beavers have a great team and the Elliot Lake Wildcats fans prefer this kind of competition and game.
Defanitely good for both of our Towns and our Teams!!
sure is. and personally, I love seeing the bigger crowds when I head down to Blind to watch our games… more exciting for sure. Win or lose, we should always be out there cheering and supporting our teams 🙂
Peachy spend 1 nite with Wildcat in cheep motel Elliott Lake 35 year ago
ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Another semi-final loss to the Soo Thunderbirds I predict, or even not making the final four.
Forget the Hot Seat ” The Coach has dug a hole I do not feel the managment sould let him climb out. If he does it paints the whole board with the same brush”