Mid July in Hound Town
The feedback that I have personally received relative to the Soo Greyhounds retaining John Dean with a new two year contract extension has not been at all flattering to the veteran head coach of the Red and White.
Not one person of the dozen or so that have commented to me on the decision by the Greyhounds to extend Dean’s contract is in favour of the move made by ownership and management. And let it be said that more than half of those who relayed their opinions on Dean to me are Greyhound season ticket holders.
Dean gets the extension despite the fact that the Greyhounds have had losing seasons in two of the last three. Most recently, in ’24-25, the Greyhounds finished seventh among the 10 teams of the Western Conference with a record of 29-35-4 before losing to the Windsor Spitfires in the first round of the playoffs.
To me — and to many others — the Greyhounds were a team of at least .500 ability in ’24-25 only to finish six games below the watershed mark. And in the playoff series against an injury laden Windsor team that featured no less than four 16-year old rookies in the lineup, Dean was clearly out coached by Spitfires bench boss Greg Walters.
Looking ahead to the 25-26 campaign, Dean will be rightfully expected to lead the Greyhounds to not only a winning record during the regular season but at least one round of playoff series triumph. If he doesn’t, then owner Tim Lukenda and general manager Kyle Raftis — who, by the way, I view as good, smart hockey people — will have some explaining to do. And the explanation should be a change in coaches.
Meanwhile:
• I do like the roster that Raftis as the Greyhounds GM has assembled. For the most part — save for a first round flub on forward Christoper Brown a few years back — Raftis has drafted well, particularly in the middle rounds.
• As is the case with most teams in the Ontario Hockey League, goal tending will be a key for the Greyhounds come the ’25-26 season. To be sure, the Greyhounds need third year goalie Landon Miller to step and perform to expectations. Miller is not only a former second round pick by the Greyhounds but the Detroit Red Wings used a fourth round pick on the big puck stopper at the 2024 National Hockey League draft. To those who are down on Miller, just remember that goalies on average tend to develop and achieve potential much later than forwards and defensemen.
• Negativity on the contract extension of Hounds head coach John Dean aside, I for one am looking forward to watching forward Brady Martin in his third OHL season. To be sure, the 2007 birth year is a special breed and Greyhound fans might want to enjoy this specimen of a hockey player over the next season or two.
Nashville Predators made the hard working Martin a first round draft selection with the fifth overall pick of the 2025 NHL draft and any one and every one is of the notion that the youngster will be playing in the Show within a year or two.
Being a first round pick is not a new experience for Martin, who was taken third overall by the Greyhounds in the first round of 2023 OHL priority selections draft.
Since then, Martin has grown into a true 200 foot, all around threat. He finished the ’24-’25 OHL regular season with career high totals of 33 goals, 39 assists, 72 points in 57 games, while racking up 68 penalty minutes. The 6 foot, 175 pound Martin then added two goals, two assists, four points in five playoff games for the Greyhounds, who were ousted in the first round by the Windsor Spitfires.
Let us who watch hockey in Sault Ste. Marie enjoy this Martin kid while we can.
I’m calling for an impressionistic sculpture of scrap metal to be placed outside Memorial Gardens.
I call it the Bellyaching Fan; beer belly, crossed arms, a rolled up program in one fist, an expression of pure disgust.
A deeply ingrained cornerstone of the great Greyhound tradition since 1972.