Bantam AA Practices With Daniel Carcillo

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:37:53 -0400

Daniel Carcillo from the Philidelphia Flyers came out to share some experience with the Vaughan Panthers Bantam AA practices on our August 23 & 24th.

Vaughan Dream Season

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:13:26 -0400

By Carmine Bonanno of Vaughan Today

Vaughan Panthers are having the season of their lives.

After a successful holiday trip to Italy and qualifying for the all-Ontario championship, the Panthers are gearing up for the GTHL city final after sweeping away the Avalanche in the West division final.

In the race to eight points, Vaughan secured its city-final spot with a 2-0 victory on Monday at Westwood Arena; the Rangers won the series 8 points to 2.

Head coach John King said avoiding timely mistakes and a strong power play were the differences against the Avalanche.

“When half of your goals come on the power play and you hold the other team to none, chances are you will be successful,” King said. “It was a pretty tough series between two teams that have competed hard against each other all season.

“I guess you can say we survived.”

The Panthers will face either Hillcrest Summits or Markham Islanders in the GTHL final, which is tentatively set to start this weekend. Regardless of who his charges face, King said he will employ a game plan that has worked all season.

“We are a physical team that likes to finish our checks, so it’s all about discipline,” he said, adding the team will also focus on playing strong team defence.

“When it comes to offensive strategy, we’ll look to get the puck deep and put pressure on their defence,” King added. “There’s an old saying that all good hockey teams don’t like playing in their own end. So if we can pin them there, there is a higher risk to make mistakes.”

Along with a deep roster and strong goaltending, King said team balance has contributed to Vaughan’s success.

The coach added he doesn’t rely on a few players to produce, but holds the whole bench accountable.

“I expect the five kids on the ice will carry the load of responsibility and have the next five ready to go,” he said.

“Every player and every role is important on this team … and I want and expect everyone to work hard, and let the chips fall where they may.”

The GTHL final will not be the end of the Panthers season. The team won a city playdown tournament prior to the post-season, giving them a spot in the five-team provincial championships from April 11 to 13 in New Liskeard, Ontario — a six-hour drive north.

This event marks the first time the Panthers will compete for a provincial title. But it won’t be the first time this year Vaughan will travel for a tournament.

The Panthers travelled to Italy over the Christmas break for what King called “a trip of a lifetime”.

Vaughan beat a Russian team to win a tournament in Lake Como and also played two exhibition games, the second outdoors surrounded by the mountains of northern Italy.

King said his 14- and 15-year-old players might play up to 90 games this season. But as much hockey as that is, no one involved seems to mind.

“Playing hockey in March and April is always fun,” King said. “The game is only an hour or an hour-and-a-half long, but the fun we have with the team, the parents, siblings and friends doesn’t end there.”

Peewee A, Clancy Champions

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:07:16 -0400

The 2008-2009 Vaughan Panthers Peewee A team had a fantastic finish to their season.

Instead of folding up the tent, the entire team pulled up their socks to make a run towards the Clancy Championship. It came down to the final game, and with the team down 3-1 after the 2nd period, they huddled together and decided that they wanted to end as champions, not as a finalist.

With hard work and determination, they fought back and changed the momentum as a true team does, tying the game up at 3-3 in regulation, sending the game into overtime. Through a lot of hard work, they kept the pressure on the opposing team, and eventually got the puck to the front of the opposing team’s net, and were able to bury it for their storybook overtime win.

Congratulations!

Events

Bantam AA Practices With Daniel Carcillo

Vaughan Dream Season

Peewee A, Clancy Champions