Men’s Hockey Preview: Out with the Old, In with the New

With New Coach And Recruits, Men’s Hockey Team Enters New Era

SportsVince Morello — Published September 7, 2015

“I’m looking forward to the next pre-season games because some of the guys they’re in really good shape.” Element said.

Following a long off-season, the players jumped on the ice for practice at the Ed Meagher Arena last Wednesday, and some couldn’t wait for the opportunity to return after a summer off.

“A lot of us it was our first time getting back on the ice, getting back into things, shaking the rust off, but guys look sharp,” said veteran forward Jessyko Bernard.

Last year, despite a losing record, the Stingers made it into the playoffs to face their rivals, the McGill Redmen. After winning the first game of series, the Stingers were eliminated following two losses in row. The playoff loss is something the team hopes to avenge this year.

“We’re really looking forward to playing against McGill again,” said second-year forward Dominic Beauchemin.

With the new additions to the team and their rookies getting a whole year of experience from the previous season, the team has improved on their already well-rounded offense led by captain Olivier Hinse.

“It’s a good problem, and I’m really excited about the depth that we have. It’s going to be worth it for the upcoming season, so if there’s injuries or anything we have depth,” Element said.

“Experience helps a lot for a team and this year it’ll help, we got a couple of recruits last year, and I think that extra year is going to help us a lot,” said second-year forward Scott Oke. “[We have] a lot of young firepower so I think it’s going to be a good year.”

This year’s new recruits, headlined by former Memorial Cup winner, Luca Ciampini, and former American Hockey League player Frederick Roy, are looking to add some scoring and intensity respectively.

“I’ve always had an offensive talent, I try to keep things simple, play good two-way [hockey] and give everything I got for this team every night,” said Ciampini.

“We’re trying to change the attitude of this team. This year is a new start for everyone. New coaching staff, they’re hungry,” said Roy.

“It’s the compete level; it’s competing every shift. It’s competing every day in practice. It’s competing in the gym. It’s the little small details in the end that make a big difference,” he continued.

As for the team’s goalie situation, there’s still a lot of time until the start of the season. Element will decide who starts in nets for the first game.

The Stingers will start their season away as the first tilt of the season will be on October 9 against the Ryerson Rams. The home opener will be on October 16 versus the Windsor Lancers.