Coach Sees Progress With Young Chatham Maroons

Although they aren’t at the top of the standings today, new Chatham Maroons head coach Bill Bowler sees several positives early in the season from his young hockey club.

“You always want to win more than you lose, with that said, I’m happy with the progress we’ve showed so far. We’ve run into some injuries, and loss of Alexander Morgan didn’t help, but I’m very happy with what a lot of our young players are showing right now.”

Through their first 9 games, the Chatham Maroons sit near the basement of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Western Conference with 3 wins, 5 losses, and an OT loss. After losing their top player, Alex Morgan to the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds however, young players including Trevor Richardson, Eric Palazollo, and Michael Verboom have all experience success offensively.

Bowler understands that although winning immediately might not be in the cards, it’s a long season, and his young players are learning,

“What we’re trying to do here is a progress,” said Bowler. “We have a lot of young guys in the lineup that I’m happy with.”

As the season progresses and Bowler’s young club matures, he expects the results to come, and already sees the Chatham Maroons moving in the right direction,

“The reality is we need the experience,” Bowler explained. “Once we get through the league once and see each team, our guys will learn what it takes to win in the league. Eventually our guys will see what they’re up against, as it’s still a new experience for a lot of them.”

The Chatham Maroons are playing with a largely green roster, as a dozen players are experiencing their first full season of Junior B hockey.

According to Bowler however, he expects his young team to work through their early mistakes, and build toward a strong finish as they become more seasoned.

“Some nights the mistakes we make are just youth, or because we aren’t physically as strong. As we progress, those types of mistakes will become less frequent.”

Even while the young Maroons work through their early season struggles, Bowler still expects his team to steal some games, as he sees the league to be relatively even, and knows if his players come to play each night, they’ll have the opportunity to win,

“The great thing in our league is there is a lot of parity. Every game you can win, and every game you can lose. It all depends on who comes to play.”