By Jeff Gard/Today’s Northumberland
Junior C hockey officially returned to the Jack Burger Sports Complex on Saturday night as the Port Hope Panthers hosted the Campbellford Rebels in the opening game of the 2021-22 Provincial Junior Hockey League season.
It was the first regular season game for both teams since February of 2020.
“It’s going to be nice to get back with somewhat normal hockey in Port Hope,” Panthers head coach and general manager David Miller said in an interview prior to the home opener, crediting municipal staff, especially at the arena. “There’s some restrictions, but they’ve treated our team fantastic so everyone is pretty excited to get going.”
Ben Krauja and Ethan Salter each scored twice as the Rebels earned a 6-3 victory over the Panthers while Benny Scarr and Connor MacGregor added single tallied. Nolan Stevenson, with two goals, and Logan Kelly, his first PJHL goal, replied for Port Hope in a losing cause.
Before the Panthers moved forward into the new season, they honoured some key people no longer with the organization.
Corey Saman and Jarrett Desormeaux had their overage season last year with the Panthers, but were limited to playing a few exhibition games.
“We were lucky to get some games in, but that’s not the way any overager wants to go out,” Miller said, noting the club wanted to honour them “to say thank you for everything they did for the organization, the time they put in and the commitment.”
The Panthers also paid tribute to longtime volunteer Kim Spencer, who passed away in July of this year. Miller describes her “as a volunteer you can’t replace.”
“She dedicated a lot of time to both the Panthers and the Cougars,” Miller said. “It’s a big loss for us.”
Heading into a new PJHL season for the first time since the 2020 playoffs were cancelled brings a lot of unknowns in the Tod Division as far as rosters are concerned. Teams will get familiar with each other with seven games against each opponent during the reduced 35-game regular season schedule.
Miller always expects teams like the Napanee Raiders and Picton Pirates to be tough with veterans in their lineup while the Amherstview Jets traditionally build a competitive club as well. Gone are the Gananoque Islanders and have been replaced by the expansion Frankford Huskies, which Miller expects to be hardworking and difficult to play against.
Don’t count out the Campbellford Rebels either, said Miller, despite the club posting a 1-41-0-2 record in 2019-20.
“I know Campbellford is going to be a lot better than they were,” said Miller, who was expecting the Rebels “to be a really, really good test for us” Saturday night. “It’s going to be interesting to see if teams are more veteran-based or if they have a lot of rookies.”
Seven rookies have been signed to the Port Hope roster this year to add to the mix of new and returning players.
“We have a lot of good young local talent coming in,” Miller said. “Logan Kelly is a Cobourg boy, really impressed in Cobourg Cougars camp, came to us and we’re going to develop him this year and hopefully he gets to Cobourg next year. He’s very skilled, very quick and a very smart player.”
Another rookie is Michael Patrick, of Brighton, who Miller said is “very smart and very fast” and is “going to be a huge part of our team this year.”
In addition to Kelly and Patrick, the other rookie forwards are Camden Stickney and Clayton Farrow, first-year defencemen are Dawson Williams and Hayden Berry while goaltender Aidan Thomson joins the Panthers from the Markham Islanders U18 AAA program.
Miller said Thomson impressed at Cougars junior A training camp and also played well for the Panthers during the pre-season.
“He’s like a sponge. He wants to learn and get better,” Miller said. He really played well in the pre-season.”
Miller expects Thomson to form a great tandem in net with Sam Dingle, who is from Brighton and comes to the Panthers after spending last season with the junior A Pembroke Lumber Kings of the CCHL, who Miller considers to an “excellent goalie, very poised in his net. He has the ability to lead our team this year.
“We are very confident in our two goalies,” the coach added. “It doesn’t matter who’s in net, we trust what they can do.”
Miller believes a strong group has been assembled at the forward and defence positions. The new team captain is 20-year-old defenceman Bryson Kelloway, who is listed at 6-foot-7, 240 pounds.
“He’s very mature, responsible,” Miller said. “He’s going to be a big part of our team on the back-end, but he’s also a great leader for the organization.”
Drew Clapperton is another 20-year-old on defence, which also includes Oz Paziuk and Tyler McGarvey.
Up front, the veteran returning forwards include 21-year-old Will Perley-Fry, 20-year-olds Nolan Stevenson and Carter Clarke as well as Ethan Shore, who turns 20 in December and 19-year-old Evan Wright to join Nathan Ford, Jack Papageorgiou and Cole Papageorgiou.
“Hopefully it’s going to be a very positive year for us. Obviously expectations are high, but I think that the guys that we have in our room are going to lead us and bring us to places we want to go,” Miller said. “We’re looking forward to seeing where we stand in terms of where we are in the division, but I’m confident in our group and the guys that we have. In our league you can’t take a night off. Anybody can beat anybody at any time so I think the biggest thing with our league is consistency.”
Miller said the Panthers are going to be a “smart team” and “we’re going to rely on our speed and our skill” as well.
“I would like us to work extremely hard, come first on the forecheck, but we would like to possess the puck a lot. We want to beat teams with our systems and with our structure,” Miller said.
The Panthers, which had five affiliated players in the lineup in the loss to the Rebels will look to bounce back next Saturday, Oct. 9 when they host the Picton Pirates. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at the Jack Burger Sports Complex.
PORT HOPE PANTHERS 2021-22 ROSTER
Forwards: (7) Will Perley-Fry, (8) Cole Papageorgiou, (10) Jack Papageorgiou, (11) Evan Wright, (12) Camden Stickney, (17) Ethan Shore, (19) Michael Patrick, (21) Logan Kelly, (22) Nathan Ford, (24) Nolan Stevenson, (26) Carter Clarke, (27) Clayton Farrow
Defencemen: (5) Bryson Kelloway, (6) Dawson Williams, (14) Tyler McGarvey, (15) Hayden Barry, (18) Drew Clapperton, (28) Oz Paziuk
Goaltenders: (1) Aidan Thomson, (31) Sam Dingle
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
