Verboom Named New Maroons Captain

A new coaching staff, and a new set of captains. The Chatham Maroons will have a different look this season, but a familiar face, and a frequent name found on the scoresheet, will wear the captain’s ‘C’ this season for Chatham, as Michael Verboom was named captain.

Verboom replaces Sean Myers, who graduated due to age, along with assistants Blake Blondeel, Jake Flegel and Evan Mascaro.

Verboom lead the Chatham Maroons in scoring last season, helping them to a first overall finish with 20 goals and 44 assists for 64 points, in 51 games.

Joining Verboom as assistant captains will be Trevor Richardson, Eric Palazzolo, and Steven Szekesy.

Last season, Verboom, a former Chatham-Kent Cyclones star, was named the GOJHL’s Western Conference best defensive forward. He also grabbed an Offensive Player of the Month award. Szekesy was a Defensive Player of the Month winner, and also played in the GOJHL all-star, and top prospects games. He was the Maroons top scoring defenseman last year. Palazzolo, who scored 26 goals last season for the Maroons, also participated in the GOJHL Top Prospects game.

Trevor Richardson is the only new Maroons captain with a Chatham background, as the towering forward is a Chatham Minor Hockey, and Chatham-Kent Cyclones product, who is entering his third full season with the Maroons.

The Maroons, along with the returning players, also signed three new players, Hayden Verbeek, Devin Shannon, and Connor Annett. Verbeek, an underager, played for the Sun County Panthers Minor Midget ‘AAA’ team last season. Shannon comes to the Maroons from the Kingsville Comets Junior C team, while Annett moves with new head coach Mark Davis from the Lambton Shores Predators Junior B team.