Friday is Canada’s birthday, which shortens week 1 of VHG’s Summer ’22 schedule. However, opening week was not without excitement and surprises. 3 up 3 down – it is baseball season after all. Here we go.
Surprise: Luc Marnell. The Holy Heart Highlanders forward is a Blizzard draftee, but did not crack their lineup in 2021-22. However – with the potential turnover up front for the Blizz, could the 6+ foot, talented forward make the jump to U18 AAA? Marnell looks leaner than in years past, and has always had hands. It will be interesting to see if the ’06 birthyear can show under the bright Friday night lights on July 8th.
Excitement: Maggie Connors. Team Canada’s Olympic team is starting to age. 5 of Team Canada’s forwards are on the wrong side of age 30 – Melody Daoust (30), Brianne Jenner (31), Rebecca Johnston (33), Marie-Philip Poulin (31), Jill Saulnier (30), Natalie Spooner (32) will have to be replaced with young blood soon. Maggie Connors is only 22. Connors has absolutely crazy hands around the net; if you don’t believe me, give us a follow on Tik Tok @vhghockey and it’ll make sense to you when you watch some of her clips. The St. John’s, NL native will look to make some noise at Hockey Canada’s ‘big ole female event’ in early August. We think she will.
Surprise: Georgia Collins’ development. Collins was not invited to Gander for HPP Main Camp last spring, but what a difference a year can make. The Glovertown, NL 15-year-old showed size and athleticism at Regional Camp back in May; can she follow it up in Corner Brook? Only time will tell, but after her first session on the ice this week, it is apparent that Collins wants to make the next step in her development.
Excitement: Jack Byrne Arena. After spending virtually our entire working lives at the Capital Hyundai Arena in some capacity, being in a warm facility like the JBA will add about 100 years to the joints, and the hands! That said, special thanks to the CHA for providing us with a home for nearly 2 years. We are forever grateful.
Surprise: The physical growth of Will Grant. I’m pretty sure Grant has grown 3-4 inches since mid-May. I think that Grant’s genetics are worth betting on – grandfather Doug was an NHL goaltender, and uncle Steve played at the World U17 Hockey Challenge for Team Atlantic. Grant’s uncle on his mother’s side was a tremendous high school/U18 AAA player locally (Jason Little), a man best known for ruining the 2001 Gonzaga Vikings undefeated season by potting 4 goals on us in the 4A final.
Excitement: The MHL Draft. Yes, everyone loves the QMJHL and wants to be drafted into one of the top U21 leagues on the planet. But for those of you not paying attention, the MHL is slowly creeping up there as a place where players can go to get a college look; especially at the D3 or USPORT level. Every other day, the MHL social media is firing up a commitment graphic; for players living on the east coast who might not want to move a couple thousand km’s away to BC or Alberta should consider the MHL as a viable place to develop. Most (if not all) teams pay for post-secondary courses, too.
The MHL Draft goes down July 15, and we will likely see numerous NL-born players taken. The only thing I’m certain of is I will be pounding my virtual fists on the table for us (Yarmouth) to invest in local talent. We shall see.
Honorable Mention: Nolan Cleary’s speed. Not sure what he was eating all season in Y-town, but Cleary looks leaner, faster, stronger, and well… better than he did Xmas time.
Until Next Time,
AP