Another solid regular season led to another disappointing playoff exit, but the Kincardine Bulldogs are once again primed to be a contender.
The Bulldogs continue to rely on a punishing defensive style to win games, relying more on an offensive committee than 3 or 4 outright stars that pile up points. The Bulldogs rode their steady play to a 3rd place finish, and again led the league in defensive stats, allowing the fewest goals in the Pollock at 103, 1 fewer than eventual champs Mount Forest. This team is flat out hard to play against, and if they can further increase their offensive output, they'll be a massive handful for all the other teams. Head Coach Shawn Burrows has had a ton of success getting this group to gel, and he will have an impressive roster returning to the fold, alongside some fresh faces that will quickly learn the Bulldog way.
Up front, Kincardine will again reap the benefits of having steady two-way force Mike Fiegehen back, who led the team in scoring with 36 points. He leads a solid group that can shut down teams and effectively counter attack quickly. The Bulldogs rely on the quick strike transition game, generating turnovers in the neutral zone, and springing odd man rushes the other way. Fiegehen is the best at that, and he will lead a returning forward core of Logan Frieburger (30 points), Brett Burrows (29 points), Jordan Caskanette (27 points) and Keegan Angel (27 points). That makes up all 5 of the top scorers from last year, meaning the Bulldogs won't have to worry about the top two lines finding chemistry. Frieburger in particular is a big key, as his 30 points were earned in only 24 games, and there's reason to suspect if he gets more games in, he could lead the team in scoring. New additions include an intriguing youngster from the vaunted Grey-Bruce Highlanders program in Jerrid Fossold. Coach Burrows says Fossold is a tenacious forechecker who can generate offense down low and be responsible in his own end. Sounds like a made-ready Bulldogs player.
On the blue line, the Bulldogs were ecstatic to return last season's leading point man on the back end, Hunter Robins-Gibbons (19 points). He is back for his OA year, and will have to step up even more to stem the losses of reliable defenders and leaders Robert White and Payton Dunlop. Robins-Gibbons is exceptional at moving the puck quickly up ice, and will likely get more responsibility on the power play, but his main strength is his own end, where he excels at stripping forecheckers from the puck and making a quick exit feed. He will be joined by last year's two impressive rookies in Jesse Carnahan and Kent Ribey, who will likely form a potent and stifling second pair, as well as the smooth and composed Logan Swanton, who will likely pair up with Robins-Gibbons. In terms of new additions, the team announced on Twitter earlier in the summer that they had signed Isaiah Bell-Webley out of the highly regarded Barrie Jr. Colts AAA program. Coach Burrows describes Bell-Webley as a big, mean and physical defender who has a more dynamic element to his game, able to join the rush and create offense just as well as he can bruise opponents that come near his net. He will be an exciting player to watch. Also joining up from the Grey-Bruce Highlanders is Keegan Angel's younger brother Brett, and Coach Burrows says woith an Angel in the lineup you know what you're getting; hard work, defensive commitment and a great team player.
In goal, the Bulldogs will be thrilled to have Craig Luinstra back between the pipes. Luinstra was the main workhorse last season sporting a record of 15-10-1 with 2 shutouts, a .907 save percentage and a sturdy 2.78 GAA in 27 starts. The Bulldogs know that Luinstra can log big minutes and not be fazed by the workload, and he has become one of the best stoppers in the division. With yet another solid looking D-core protecting him, Luinstra should improve on his already impressive totals. At the time of writing, the backup position is up in the air, as Ethan Primeau is not certain about his return yet due to some potential job opportunities. But with Luinstra back, the Bulldogs will have no issues within the blue paint.
For more on the upcoming Kincardine Bulldogs year, here is the full interview with Head Coach Shawn Burrows:
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