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Have you ever wondered what the definition of “Old School” is. Websters Dictionary defines the term “Old School” as adhering to traditional policies and practices. In Hockey someone who is called “Old School” is someone who plays the game like they did in the past. Harding working, no nonsense, punch you in the mouth types of people. When Flyers Head Coach John Marks played in the NHL it was in a much different era then today. You didn’t play for the money, you didn’t play for a chance to be on prime time TV. You played for the crest on your jersey, your teammates and for pride.
The attitude that has come with the new man in charge in Flyerland is “No Excuses and No Regrets”. Never once has he said that the team will be more skilled then anyone else or that things will be easy. He has said that the team will work harder, hit harder, and the players that are lucky enough to earn their spot on the team will only receive what they earn. Right from the start of camp everyone has been on a level playing field. Whether you are a 20 year old veteran or a 18 year old rookie you will have to earn your stripes. I still remember one of the first conversations that I had with Coach Marks when he said that “Players must come here and ask me what can I earn, not what are you going to give me”.
Obviously with nearly 30 years of coaching experience and numerous championships along the way Coach Marks has learned a thing or two about deciding what kinds of players you need on a team to be successful.
At first glance the 2010/2011 edition of the Winkler Flyers seems to be pretty good. There is a lot of depth at forward with a good mix of speed, skill, size, and toughness. Goal scoring shouldn't be a problem.
With Peter Alexander and Reed Peters between the pipes I think that the tandem in Winkler will prove to be one of the best in the league. Alexander is a reigning All-Star and enjoyed a bit of comfort in goal last year with no one really pushing him.
Throughout most of last season it was almost a certainty that Alexander would get the start most nights. And that isn’t always a good thing. I think this year will be a lot different. Reed Peters is coming off a great year with the Pembina Valley Hawks. Leading them to the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League Championship and a finals appearance in the Western Regionals losing to the power house Notre Dame Hounds in that game.
According to many, Peters is one of the best goaltenders coming out of AAA Hockey. Coach Marks has assured him that he will get his minutes which will force Alexander to be at the top of his game. The blessing of having two great goaltenders is that the starter will have to be great to keep his job and the young guy will want to prove that he is capable of stealing it and both players will be better in the end. So that situation should be an exciting one to watch as the season moves along.
The defence on the other hand is the weak spot to start the season. Not necessarily because of a lack of talent but because of a lack of experience and a lack of birthdays. For the most part they are a very young bunch. It will take some time to get used to the speed of junior hockey and to the rigors of the schedule. Some of them are coming from High School hockey where their seasons are no more the 25-30 games long. Troy Kliever is entering his fourth and final year of junior hockey and will be the leader back there. Blair Osiowy and Devon Speiss are the only other vets on the blue line. So there are quite a few spots to fill back there and you can be guaranteed that just because the season has started that the search for that all important defensive talent is in high gear. Looking back at Sundays game though there were a few new guys that I thought did really well. A couple of Minnesota boys did really well in their Flyer debuts. Steve Sorensen and Nate Jose especially seemed to pick it up really well. It will be interesting to see how they develop as we move along.
There are a lot of things that make a team successful. The players on the ice is a big one. The coaching is also another big one. But the overall attitude of the team is also just as important as the people. The players are being held accountable for their actions. If you do something that you shouldn’t....you pay. If you are doing a drill in practice and one person isn’t giving it 100%, everyone does it again. They are being held accountable to not only themselves but their teammates as well. If everyone is working for the same common goal and its a goal that benefits the whole bunch then everyone will be more willing to do all they can to achieve it. Accountability and Honesty are two words that I have heard a lot in the first month and it is music to my ears.
Please let me know what you think and have your say by posting a comment. I know that Flyer fans are a passionate bunch and I want this to be a forum for all of us to share our opinions.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your feedback.
The attitude that has come with the new man in charge in Flyerland is “No Excuses and No Regrets”. Never once has he said that the team will be more skilled then anyone else or that things will be easy. He has said that the team will work harder, hit harder, and the players that are lucky enough to earn their spot on the team will only receive what they earn. Right from the start of camp everyone has been on a level playing field. Whether you are a 20 year old veteran or a 18 year old rookie you will have to earn your stripes. I still remember one of the first conversations that I had with Coach Marks when he said that “Players must come here and ask me what can I earn, not what are you going to give me”.
Obviously with nearly 30 years of coaching experience and numerous championships along the way Coach Marks has learned a thing or two about deciding what kinds of players you need on a team to be successful.
At first glance the 2010/2011 edition of the Winkler Flyers seems to be pretty good. There is a lot of depth at forward with a good mix of speed, skill, size, and toughness. Goal scoring shouldn't be a problem.
With Peter Alexander and Reed Peters between the pipes I think that the tandem in Winkler will prove to be one of the best in the league. Alexander is a reigning All-Star and enjoyed a bit of comfort in goal last year with no one really pushing him.
Throughout most of last season it was almost a certainty that Alexander would get the start most nights. And that isn’t always a good thing. I think this year will be a lot different. Reed Peters is coming off a great year with the Pembina Valley Hawks. Leading them to the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League Championship and a finals appearance in the Western Regionals losing to the power house Notre Dame Hounds in that game.
According to many, Peters is one of the best goaltenders coming out of AAA Hockey. Coach Marks has assured him that he will get his minutes which will force Alexander to be at the top of his game. The blessing of having two great goaltenders is that the starter will have to be great to keep his job and the young guy will want to prove that he is capable of stealing it and both players will be better in the end. So that situation should be an exciting one to watch as the season moves along.
The defence on the other hand is the weak spot to start the season. Not necessarily because of a lack of talent but because of a lack of experience and a lack of birthdays. For the most part they are a very young bunch. It will take some time to get used to the speed of junior hockey and to the rigors of the schedule. Some of them are coming from High School hockey where their seasons are no more the 25-30 games long. Troy Kliever is entering his fourth and final year of junior hockey and will be the leader back there. Blair Osiowy and Devon Speiss are the only other vets on the blue line. So there are quite a few spots to fill back there and you can be guaranteed that just because the season has started that the search for that all important defensive talent is in high gear. Looking back at Sundays game though there were a few new guys that I thought did really well. A couple of Minnesota boys did really well in their Flyer debuts. Steve Sorensen and Nate Jose especially seemed to pick it up really well. It will be interesting to see how they develop as we move along.
There are a lot of things that make a team successful. The players on the ice is a big one. The coaching is also another big one. But the overall attitude of the team is also just as important as the people. The players are being held accountable for their actions. If you do something that you shouldn’t....you pay. If you are doing a drill in practice and one person isn’t giving it 100%, everyone does it again. They are being held accountable to not only themselves but their teammates as well. If everyone is working for the same common goal and its a goal that benefits the whole bunch then everyone will be more willing to do all they can to achieve it. Accountability and Honesty are two words that I have heard a lot in the first month and it is music to my ears.
Please let me know what you think and have your say by posting a comment. I know that Flyer fans are a passionate bunch and I want this to be a forum for all of us to share our opinions.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your feedback.
