flyers now aiming higher after surprising first-year run to ojhl final
the leamington flyers have even higher ambitions. that’...
sep 11 2024
3 minute read
leamington flyers' head coach dale mitchell said there were valuable lessons learned in the team's first season in the ojhl that should help this season.
cameron ernst
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(photo by cameron ernst / ojhl i
the leamington flyers have even higher ambitions.
that’s hard to imagine after the club turned its first season in the ontario junior hockey league in 2023-24 into a run to the league final.
“this year, the bar has been set high for sure,” flyers’ defenceman anthony ciaramitaro said. “we’re really trying to build towards a championship this year and i think we have the guys that can do it.”
the flyers already have new momentum as the club gets set to face the buffalo jr. sabres in the team’s home opener on thursday at 7:10 p.m. at the nature fresh centre. the club opened the regular season with back-to-back road wins by a combined score of 15-3. the club also beat league powers trenton and collingwood to capture the pre-season cottage cup in wasaga beach.
“we do see ourselves competing for a championship and that’s the discussions we have in our room,” flyers’ head coach dale mitchell said. “expectations are high (and) if you don’t have pressure, what’s it all for?”
while last year’s title run came up short, the season did provide a blueprint for the club to learn expectations and the ins and outs of how to compete in the league.
“i wasn’t sure what i got into, but right away you could see serious league,” mitchell said. “fortunately, we were able to compete right away.
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“no one knew the landscape, the different rinks and the (road) trips. we, as a staff, now know how to manage things at that level.”
this year’s roster also shows a change in direction after the club lost to a veteran collingwood squad in the final.
“we have eight 20-year-olds, which is the league maximum,” said flyers’ captain adrian bosev, who saw the team carry just three a year ago. “it’s just nice to have that experience with guys that have gone on playoff runs and know what it takes.”
the flyers have just three returning forwards in bosev, who has seven points in the first two games, brayden degelas and griffin gundner. adding to that group is former windsor spitfire colton smith, gavin grundner, who also played in the ohl for the guelph storm, american carter gillen, jobey pearson and michael denney, who as a 33-goal scorer in junior b last season, should also boost the offence.
“from on-to-12 with our forwards, it’s exciting,” mitchell said. “we’re a lot more explosive, but also better with puck protection and able to shift to grit. i think we’ve brought a lot more.”
defenceman anthony ciaramitaro believes the leamington flyers can make a run at the ojhl title this season.
dan janisse
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windsor star
ciaramitaro returns on the back end along with six-foot-four marquise brown, nick mahy and landon bernard. the club has added former ohl owen macdonald and american carter gillen. leamington’s ethan tatomir also joins the squad along with former ohl saginaw draft pick tyler mcguire, who played junior b in chatham last season.
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“our back end is going to be our strength, especially with the experience of four 20-year-olds and two 19-year-olds,” mitchell said.
after an outstanding season, goalie sebastian gatto has moved on, but former spitfire draft pick tre altiman has moved up after an outstanding junior b season with lasalle and will joined by 20-year-old marcus vandenberg, who spent time in the ohl with kitchener, niagara and sudbury.
“i’ve always liked tre,” mitchell said. “he always played well against us when we were in junior b and had a great year last year. marcus came in late and it gives us two really, really good goalies.”
after a junior b sutherland cup title two years ago and a shift to junior a that ended with a run to the final, it’s clear the flyers aren’t simply satisfied being average.
“it’s crazy how quick of a turnaround it was, but i think the guys we’ve brought in from last year and this year, we will do what we can to build this program and make it better,” ciaramitaro said. “i think it’s got everything to do from management with the gm and ownership and i’ve been coached by (mitchell) for four years. every year with him, the team gets better through him. we’ve just got to keep working.”
jpparker@postmedia.com
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