Great Lakes Junior C, Season Preview

The Great Lakes Junior C League regular season gets underway this week, so we’re giving you a team by team look at the local teams including the Dresden Kings, Blenheim Blades, Wallaceburg Lakers, and Wheatley Sharks. As well, we’ll briefly break down the rest of the league in anticipation for the 2013-2014 Great Lakes season.

Dresden Kings

The Dresden Junior Kings will have several high profile veterans in the lineup to lead their offense this season, including veterans Macks Holmes, Dylan Mertz, Jesse Allen, Cam Ross, Taylor Sisson, Alex Ritchie, and Mike Myers. The most important veteran returning to the Kings however, is goaltender Brent Paxton. Paxton will be one of the league’s most experienced, and reliable goaltenders this season, and will likely steal games for the Kings. Dresden’s weak spot, will be their defense, where Jeff Vanrabaeys will be relied on heavily to eat minutes for the Kings. Dresden will also have several high profile rookies on the roster. Dede Cato captained the Chatham-Kent Cyclones Minor Midget AAA team last season, and the smooth skating Cato, is versatile enough to play both defense and forward. As well, the team welcomes local Kevin Ritzer, and a pair of Chatham players, Blake Padbury and Jay Piett who will contribute immediately. Padbury was the CKSS Golden Hawks high school MVP last season, while Piett, a defenseman who also attends CKSS, is a former captain of the TekSavvy Kent Cobras ‘AA’ team.
Home Opener: Friday, September 13 against Mooretown.

Blenheim Blades

No local team was hit harder by graduation than the Blenheim Blades. The Blades have said goodbye to top scorers Taylor Phillips and Tyler Clarke, defensemen Owen Bateman, Bowe Shepley, and Jordan Durston, and starting goalie Dylan Vanderpol. In net, the Blades signed Chatham goalie Eric Stewardson to compete for time with returnee Justin Pratt. With enough veteran defenders to get the job done, the Blades went searching for offense in the offseason, with their biggest catch being Windsor Spitfires draft pick Drew Marlatt. Marlatt, who was a top scorer with the Chatham-Kent Cyclones last season, was a late cut by the Chatham Maroons, and will be an instant contributor with the Blades.
Home Opener: Sunday, September 11 against Wallaceburg.

Wallaceburg Lakers

This might not be the intro many Wallaceburg fans want, but the Lakers look to struggle again this season. Wallaceburg lost top scorers Jeff Nolfo, Brennan Rainey, and defenseman Bobby Domin to the Seguin Huskies Junior A team, and will need to rely heavily on the rapid development of the remainder of last year’s core. Underager Mike Zottl will take time to contribute on the point, while goalie Joel Sowinski returns, but must improve on his 5 plus goals against averages, and below .900 save percentages if he’ll hope to win games for the Lakers. Locals Scott Lubbers and Lucais Meyskens, and Michigan resident Justin Whitson will be relied on heavily to carry the torch for the Lakers.
Home Opener: Wednesday, September 11 against Dresden.

Wheatley Sharks

With the departure of all-star goalie Marc Tremblay, and defensive stalwarts Kurtis Ouellette and Kevin Sawatzky due to age, as well as losing scorer Riley Babkirk to the Sarnia Legionnaires, Wheatley will have some major holes to fill in the lineup. With the exception of two potential rookie goalies, the Sharks however, can expect growth from within. Leading scorer Jon Woelk returns, and the Sharks can expect a trickle down effect from area Junior B teams as roster trimming continues into the first weeks of the GOJHL season. As a perennial contender, the Sharks can never be counted out.
Home Opener: Monday, September 16 against Amherstburg

The Rest of the League

The Essex 73s and Belle River Canadiens will continue to be powerhouses unrivaled by other local teams. They are expected to sit atop the Great Lakes standing from start to finish, with a strong group of returning veterans, mixed with veteran recruits from the University of Windsor and St. Clair College. One team of intrigue this season will be the Amherstburg Admirals. The Admirals have a strong community brand and backing, along with a new facility, and are the team closest to Windsor, which should allow them to compete for top talent. Don’t expect Amherstburg to toil in the league basement for long, as management has a push to win now. This will not be last season’s Kingsville Comets. In the North, Alvinston and Mooretown will remain their typical, middle of the pack, caliber teams.

Predictions

Of the four local teams, Dresden seems poised early to be the closest thing to a contender, but Essex remains the team to beat.