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Flyers prepare for season with evaluation camp
By Fred Groves
LEAMINGTON — When your top two scorers, a veteran defenseman and a solid goaltender leave your team, there are a lot of big holes to fill.
This past weekend, the Leamington Flyers of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (Junior ‘B’) hit the ice in preparation for a long-awaited season.
“This is the first real hockey we’ve had in a year-and-a-half,” said GM Justin Solcz.
Noticeable absentees on the ice at this year’s evaluation camp were Maddux Rychel and Griffin Robinson. The dynamic duo — who split their time between Leamington and Chatham last year — combined for 54 goals.
Blueliner and captain Kade McKibbin, who had 55 points, is gone as well as forward Jaydon Fetter and his 51 points. Also ineligible due to age is goalie Matthew Waite, who posted an 20-6-0 record, a 2.74 GAA and an .895 save percentage.
Leamington Flyers’ prospects watch with anticipation during Saturday’s evaluation camp. After playing only a handful of games last fall, the Flyers look to build on a successful 2019-20 season, but have lost some key members of their lineup. The GOJHL season begins September 24.
Photo by Fred Groves
“We were an older team (in 2019-20), we had eight 20-year-olds and now we return with three 20-year-olds,” says Solcz.
Besides having to rebuild a roster, Solcz has had to find a new head coach as Cam Crowder, who guided the club to a 38-9-1-2 record, just eight points back of front running London, has opted not to return. The GM will be making that announcement in the very near future.
Look for Wyatt O’Neil to carry a bulk of the offensive load this season. The forward looked strong on the ice over the weekend and the Flyers hope the veteran can duplicate or better his numbers of 2019-20, which included 24 goals and 32 points.
“Just because they haven’t been able to play, they are working very hard. I am happy with the group we have,” said Scholz
Returnees on the ice at the evaluation camp were defensemen Ryan Clark and Koen Taves, along with forwards O’Neil, Julien Gervais, Sylvain Lessard, Gavin Grundner, Darby Lemieux, Gabe Piccolo, Nick Beneteau, Jason Daraiche and Kale Couvillon. Expect last year’s outstanding netminder Ryan Polidori, who had three shutouts to go along with a 2.42 GAA, to return.
The GOJHL season begins Sept. 24.
