NEW-LOOK SPIRIT OPENS OJHL SEASON AT HOME SATURDAY NIGHT
The Stouffville Spirit drops the puck on its 2018-19 Ontario Junior Hockey League schedule Saturday night at the Stouffville Arena.
The Kingston Voyageurs are the opposition. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
General manager Kenny Burrows and his assistant, Thayne Hallyburton, return.
The Spirit’s new head coach is Stouffville native Rob Acton. His assistants are Chris Porter, Acton’s teammate on the Spirit’s 2012 OJHL title team, and Brian Perrin, a former OJHL head coach in Stouffville, Newmarket and Aurora.
"I'm looking forward to the guys bouncing back after last season," Acton said before practice Friday. "I'm sure they would all agree, they under-achieved last year."
Acton’s father, former NHL coach and player Keith Acton, enters his second season as director of player development.
Connor Cadaret is the Spirit’s new video coach. Athletic therapists Leslie Dias and Khanh Vy, Bob Breckles (equipment manager) and Randy Smith (strength and conditioning coach) are back in Spiritville.
Stouffville went undefeated (3-0-2) during the OJHL preseason.
The Spirit returns seven players from its 2017-18 team that failed to make the playoffs.
The returnees are goaltender Andrew Albano, defencemen Jacob Breckles and Jordan Giacomin and forwards Kosta Manikis, Connor May, Ian Vucko and Ryan Smith.
The newcomers include three Americans (Peyton Hughes, Kenny Styles and Josh Weber) and one Russian (Rizvan Manzurov).
The 16-year-olds are Ian Lemieux of Bradford and Ty Roberts of Uxbridge. At the other end of the junior hockey age scale, the Spirit has only two 20-year-olds: Smith and Albano.
MOVING ON UP: Eight players from last year’s Spirit squad committed to NCAA or Ontario Hockey League teams:
Ashton Reesor – Sarnia Sting (OHL)
Kosta Manikis – Clarkson Golden Knights (NCAA) *2020-21
David Bowen – Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
Connor Evans – Northland College (NCAA D3)
Anthony Stavrou – Maryville University (ACHA D2)
​Brandon MacKinnon – Concordia (NCAA D3)
Isaak Phillips – Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
Nathan Torchia – Oshawa/Owen Sound (OHL)
TEAM TERRY: The Spirit’s support of the Stouffville Terry Fox Run continues this month. The Spirit is donating all 50/50 draw proceeds from its games Sept. 8 and 13 to the Fox Foundation. Spirit players will volunteer on run day afternoon, Sunday, Sept. 16, in Stouffville.
GAME NIGHTS: While most Spirit home games are played on Saturday nights, there are games on Thursday nights, as well as Sunday and holiday Monday matinees. Full schedule here: http://ojhl_stats.wttstats.pointstreak.com/teamschedule.html?teamid=719929&seasonid=18590
