For August, the amount of hockey news generated yesterday was far heavier than expected.
Of course in Owen Sound, the Ontario Hockey League Champion Owen Sound Attack introduced Greg Ireland as their new head coach, replacing Mark Reeds who guided the team to the title and then was hired by the Ottawa Senators of the NHL as an assistant coach.
The Attack also unveiled their new look logo & uniforms yesterday.
Out of the city, there was news from Windsor that Bob Boughner is back as coach of the Spitfires and the Shallow Crushers of the WOAA Senior League announced D.J. Selkirk is their new head coach.
But in all honesty, the biggest hockey news came from Calgary where the Canadian Under 18 roster was announced and included not one, but two members of the Attack.
Owen Sound’s first rounder from 2010 Jarrod Maidens, the guy who scored what likely is the biggest goal in Owen Sound hockey history, was named to the Canadian entry for the Ivan Hlinka Tournament which begins next week, as was Gemel Smith of the Attack
Smith’s story is remarkable.
You might remember a year ago, the Attack visualized Maidens and Daniel Milnes playing as underagers, or Maidens and Justin Wade.
Smith was never a consideration until he played his way onto the Attack team and was involved in a number of key moments all season on the run to the OHL Championship.
This week, Smith did it again, making it impossible for Hockey Canada selectors to deny him a spot on the Canadian Under 18 team.
And with no offence to Greg Ireland, the new logo, Jarrod Maidens, Bob Boughner or D.J. Selkirk, that was by far the biggest hockey story yesterday.
I’m Fred Wallace