It's safe to say these season previews won't be like any others I've done in my time with CKNX Junior Hockey.
COVID-19 has thrown all the world, including sports, into a tailspin, but the PJHL has a tentative date set for a possible return on December 1st. Given that fact, it's worth checking in on the teams in the Pollock Division, starting with the Walkerton Hawks, who have had a couple rough seasons in the midst of a full-scale rebuild.
GM Steve Barrett says he's leaving it up to the players at camp, likely to be held in November or late October maybe, on who makes the team for whatever season we may see. Coach Brad Tiley and his staff return, and will once again be tasked with leading a young group back to winning ways, something Walkerton did better than most in the late 2000's and early part of this past decade. While the team hasn't officially released any news on signings, Barrett says they have their eyes on a number of promising young players from local AAA circuits who could make an impact.
The Hawks finished last season in dead last in the Pollock, amassing just 6 wins in a tough year that Barrett called "very disappointing." The Hawks scored just 90 goals while giving up a division high 219, a -129 goal differential. That was all while taking the 3rd fewest penalties, so the Hawks get scored on a lot at 5-on-5, something that will need to drastically improve over the next couple seasons with a young core. Evan Visser led the team in scoring with 26 points in 34 games, trailed by Nathan Thibodeau with 19 but in only 23 games. Time will tell if either are back but it would be a decently safe assumption that a rebuilding team brings back its top scorers.
For more on the challenging offseason, the rebuild, and the team moving forward, here's the full length interview with Walkerton Hawks GM, Steve Barrett:
[audio mp3="https://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/BARRETT-WALKERTON.mp3"][/audio]