Terriers undertake rebuild
Portage GM faces challenge of replenishing roster following Centennial Cup run
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/08/2023 (1111 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Blake Spiller has been in charge of the Portage Terriers for longer than most people can remember, which is a testament to his success and ability to consistently mould winning teams.
As he prepares for his 18th season as GM and head coach of the MJHL club, Spiller admits the rebuilding job will be one of biggest challenges he’s faced.
The Terriers hosted the Centennial Cup in the spring, reaching the tournament semifinals before being eliminated from the national junior A championship.
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Graduating defenceman Kian Calder is one of numerous players who won’t be with the Portage Terriers this season following their run to the semifinals of the Centennial Cup last spring.
Following the Centennial Cup, the organization bid farewell to graduating overagers such as goaltender Bailey Monteith, defencemen Brandon McCartney and Kian Calder and forwards Mike Stubbs and Kade Kohle.
The departures didn’t stop there.
Forwards Austin Peters (Chilliwack Chiefs, BCHL), Matt Wisener (Aberdeen Wings, North American Hockey League), Ryan Botterill (Youngstown Phantoms, USHL) and Brock MacDonald (Colorado Grit, NAHL), and defencemen Rory Neill (St. James Canucks, MMJHL) and Hayden Lacquette (Chicago Steel, USHL), are all expected to be missing when the Terriers open training camp on Sept. 8.
Spiller knows he’s in a tough spot.
“I don’t know if we expected to lose all four of those guys up front, so that made it a little bit tougher in that area,” said Spiller, 60. “But at the same time, we think we’ve got some good guys coming in via trades and recruiting.
“Let’s put it this way, everybody who’s coming this year wants to be here, so that’s the exciting part… There’s always a chance we could get one or all of them back I guess. But we’ll proceed as though they’re not going to be back and, hopefully, things will start out OK.”
Portage has a good foundation with a trio of returning blue-liners that includes Tayem Gislason, Parker Scherr and Jordan Murray. Jayden Catellier will provide a solid presence in net with another veteran puckstopper, Gavin Renwick, coming over in an off-season trade with the Neepawa Titans.
“We’ve recruited a few new guys so there’s always something going on,” said Spiller. “We’ll see how we’re going to be when we get going here. There’s a lot of uncertainty and that’s kind of exciting.”
PROMISING START: The MJHL’s newest team in Niverville debuted with a fourth-place finish in the East Division and a playoff appearance in 2022-23.
Now, Nighthawks GM and head coach Kelvin Cech is trying to build on that early progress.
He’ll have to do it without graduating stars such as forward Josh Paulhus and defenceman Evan Bortis to the U Sports ranks and defenceman Carson Reed, a blue-liner from the Warroad, Minn., who is trying the crack the lineup of the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks.
“It’s a cliche, but it’s a next-man-up kind of mentality,” said Cech. “It’s an opportunity for other kids but, to be perfectly honest, you just don’t know until you see them return after a summer. We’ve got lots of ’04s — 18-year-olds that turned 19 — that are coming back for their second season. So, I’m cautiously optimistic.”
The Nighthawks, who opened their main training camp Thursday and will host their pre-season opener against the Superior International Junior Hockey League’s Kam River Fighting Walleye on Sept. 7, will have a fresh look it net, too.
“We lost two goalies and that’s tough but made the trade for Keegan Gordon (from the Winnipeg Freeze) and expect big things from him,” said Cech. “And then we have a couple of young guys fighting for spots to support him.”
NEW GIG FOR PATRICK: Former Winnipeg Ice head coach James Patrick employed again. Patrick, who led the Ice to a berth in the WHL final before the franchise was relocated to Washington State earlier this year, has signed on as the director of player personnel of the Victoria Royals.
Earlier, the 60-year-old Winnipeg product was approached about filling the head coaching job in Brandon but he rebuffed the Wheat Kings.
He is believed to have had several other offers to return to coaching.
mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca