Cubs on the road to open 2010-11 campaign

Steven Larocque
Speaker reporter
TEMISKAMING SHORES – The 25th season of the Great North Midget League (GNML) will begin with a twist.
The league is gathering in the Sudbury region to open the 2010-11 Triple “A” Midget drive with a tournament for all eight teams.
“The league felt that a showcase tournament was important to open the season,” said New Liskeard Cub head coach John Zubyck.
“They are hoping that scouts will take this time to evaluate our players early and it gives them a chance to see the Northern teams a little more as every team plays four games. It also reduces some travel for the teams who must travel the most as these games will count as regular season action,” he said in an email to The Speaker.
“This weekend is a great opportunity for our team to (bond) and a great way to introduce our team to a lot of Midget ‘AAA’ hockey. We have a young team so we will need to fast track their play to be successful. It will be a challenging weekend as we play all the southern teams in our league but it will be a great test to see where we stand with the rest of the league.”
The Cubs opened their training camp in August with fitness tests and were soon on the ice for practices and exhibition games.
Thirty players came out to camp where Zubyck and assistant coaches Dave Morin Jr. and Mario Chitaroni evaluated the talent (Guy Desjardins returns as manager and Steve Langford as trainer).
“As a staff we were looking for players with speed, skill, defensive abilities, strength, hockey sense, abilities to learn the game quickly,” said the head coach.
“We feel we have a great mix of players that bring many different qualities that will help our team be successful.”
SIGNINGS
Signed on defense are Nick Hearn, Kyle Patterson, Kaden Willard, Brian Dorrell, Cody Parker and Chad Lemire.
The forwards are Joe Langford, Jacob Mazzeti, Jarred Nowry, Brandon Dewar, Trevor McDonald, Codey Sheppard, Zac Murphy, Zac Leveille, Felix Lantaigne and Jordan Jackson.
Returning netminders are Nick Caldwell and Taylor Dupuis.
“Players that are eligible to return who are not coming back are Mitchell McCrank and Jake Ryan who have signed with the (Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League) Stratford Cullitons and Brody Silk has signed with the Sudbury Wolves of the (Ontario Hockey League).”
The addition of Chitaroni brings a new dynamic to the Cubs for the new season.
“Mario is a class act who is an excellent addition to this team. He brings the experience of being a professional hockey player and a two-time Olympian. You can’t put a price on that type of experience. He adds a lot of value to our program and the players are very fortunate to learn many great things from Mario.”
Morin, who like Zubyck is a local teacher, returns for ’10-’11 and “brings much knowledge in many departments and great leadership qualities. He leads the instruction of our goaltenders, runs the defensive core, and coordinates our off-ice conditioning programs.”
For Zubyck, his sophomore year will be enriched by the experiences of 2009-10.
“Last year was a great season and I learned very quickly how passionate the players were about hockey and how much they want to learn about the game. The best part about coaching the kids last year was watching them be so successful while executing the many systems we thought they would never understand. These players are very intelligent and you could literally teach them any tactic and they would go out and execute every time.”
Looking ahead to the new season, he said he likes what he sees from the new group.
“I love the dynamics of this team. Every player brings some type of element to the table. We need all these players working hard all the time and playing as a team. We want the players to buy into our systems and do the little things right. If they are always working hard and following the plan we will give ourselves a chance to be successful. So far the boys have bought into what we are teaching and that led to a very successful exhibition schedule (five wins and one loss).
“We have seen many strengths so far such as good defensive hockey, hard work, physical play, and great team play. Putting all those things together have led to some exciting hockey so far.”
The Cubs will play their home opener Friday, September 24, at 8 p.m. against the Timmins Majors.