Turn over is always part of the game plan in junior hockey, but the Grandview Steelers general manager is excited about the possible core that is slated to fill the ranks for the 2020-21 Pacific Junior B Hockey League season.
Fresh off of getting eliminated by the defending PJHL champion North Van Wolf Pack in four games -- although the Steelers forced double-overtime in Game 4 before bowing out -- GM Aldo Bruno says the positives outweigh the negatives after an up-and-down year.
"It was a tough series," said Bruno. "When you have to face Richmond five of the last six years in the first round, where we beat the hell out of each other, you go into that (conference final) not with a lot left. That you have to play the best team in the league makes it all the more tougher."
North Van completed the sweep last week with a 4-3 victory, when Ryan Stack buried a chance 1:32 into the second overtime session, ending Grandview's season. It came after the underdogs had staked out a 3-0 lead halfway through the contest, getting goals from Jordan Myers, Jarod Yau and Michael Milosavljevic. The Wolf Pack, which posted a 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens-like 40-3-0-1 record during the regular season, proved too overwhelming over the final 30 minutes, tying the game midway through the third on New West native Raihan Kheraj's tally.
"They had a lot of firepower and it put us on our heels," noted Bruno. "In the first 10-minute overtime we had some good chances that their goalie (Eric Clark) stopped, and we missed a good chance, but we ran out of luck when one of our defencemen lost their stick, our goalie (Cale Dolan) lost his stick and they put the pressure on (to score the winner)."
Having finished the regular season third in the Tom Shaw Conference at 25-15-2-2, getting to the league semifinals was a decent run. And while the team will see a handful of veteran standouts graduate -- including Dolan -- Bruno is excited about the potential lineup to build upon with the possible returnees.
Jack Hamilton and Myers, a diminutive five-foot-six forward, are expected to take on bigger roles as offensive leaders. Hamilton led the Steelers with 23 goals in 44 games, while Michael Martino, with 17 goals and 18 assists over 37 games, finished third in team scoring. Both could be central figures in a revamped roster. Ethan Strik, a 17-year-old rookie who put up solid numbers when he joined the club, would also get a chance to slot in to one of the top-two lines.
On defence, Lucas Cox, Rhys Lefevre, Quinn Myles and Yau are part of the eligible returning core that give the team an encouraging profile for next season. It's not likely, however, that all will return. Myles, who as a 16-year-old freshman scored 10 times and looked many times like a candidate for promotion, is expected to field a variety of junior hockey tryout opportunities.
Then there's the goalie situation, where Dolan has aged out after being a dominating figure for the past three seasons in Steelers' black-and-gold.
"(Dolan) has been the best player in the league in my opinion and been a big part of why we did so well," said Bruno. "He's a tough one to replace, but we feel (rookie Emmett) Larson is ready to carry the ball for us."
Larson, 18, posted a 2.45 goals against average over 16 games and benefitted from watching Dolan at work.
"The two have had a good relationship, and Emmett's seen how Cale prepares, how he's put in the work," added Bruno. "We feel confident in (Larson's) ability to take on the job."
While Grandview will lose a minimum of five players, even better news is that the Wolf Pack will shed 10 or more.
That's where change could be good -- opening the door for one or more of the other teams in the conference to rise up the charts. Bruno said that is an opportunity he hopes his team can take on for the 2020-21 season.
He noted head coach Stevan Matic will continue on for the 2020-21 season, preparing for the organization's tryouts on June 19 to 21 at the Burnaby Winter Club.
