Looking for Hockey?

[kickingfrog]

Some of the best minor midget hockey players in the province are playing all weekend in Barrie. Admission is free.

 

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2012/11/30/showcase-cup-gives-midget-players-a-chance-to-shine-in-front-of-scouts

 

 

This weekend could go a long way to determining the Ontario Hockey League’s draft landscape for next year.

 

The Barrie Colts minor midget ‘AAA’ team is set to host its annual Showcase Cup at the Holly Community Centre, a weekend packed wall-to-wall with games.

 

With more than 20 contests planned between Saturday and Sunday, it creates an opportunity for OHL brass to get a good look at a number of players at once.

 

“There will be plenty of (OHL) general managers, scouts and agents there,” said Jason Duffy, director of player personnel for the minor midget ‘AAA’ Colts.

 

“They always see it as an opportunity for them, because there aren’t as many games going on (as you would have in a tournament), so it’s easier to see players,” he added.

 

With the event having moved from the complex at the Nottawasaga Inn near Alliston to Barrie’s Holly Community Centre last year, it has become a convenient location for a number of people.

 

“Being in such a nice, new rink where the viewing areas are excellent, not to mention being close to the GTA, a lot of scouts can come up and see every kid,” Duffy said.

 

“If one side isn’t doing much or is in intermission, they can turn around and go to the other side to see another game.”

 

Every team in Eastern Triple ‘A’, as well as an all-star team from Northern Ontario, will be participating, and each squad plays at least twice.

 

“With a tournament, there are four, five rinks going, in different locations,” Duffy said. “That makes it almost impossible for a scout to see every kid they want to. But with this weekend they can, because everyone’s playing multiple games in the same facility.”

 

One of the interesting notes about this weekend is that, save for contests against the northern all-star team, these games are for keeps.

 

“The Showcase Cup, because they are regular-season games, they have a lot of meaning for us,” Duffy said. “There are six points up for grabs this weekend, in a very short period of time.”

 

That means wins will be all the more important for the provincially ranked Colts, who are coming off of a solid showing at the highly touted Silver Stick tournament in Whitby.

 

“Last weekend was a good stepping stone for us, because we went out and beat one of the top teams in the province,” Duffy said.

 

But on Saturday and Sunday, they’ll have to do the same, while trying to ignore the fact that pretty much every OHL team will have representatives there, watching their every move.

 

“The focus has been on playing your own game, and not focusing on anyone in the stands,” Duffy said.

 

“If you’re not playing your own game, those people mean nothing to you.

 

“If you’re doing your own thing and being an individual, the (scouts) are just going to walk away from you,” Duffy added. “You just have to play a (team) game and forget about the people in the stands.”

 

This weekend was one of the stepping stones for ETA grads such as Steven Stamkos, Corey Perry, Michael Del Zotto and Matt Duchene.

 

A number of players in last year’s event are currently playing in the OHL, including Plymouth Whalers forward Zach Bratina, Soo Greyhounds defenceman Kevin Spinozzi, and Mississauga Steelheads winger Bobby MacIntyre.

 

“When fans get to the event, they’ll be hearing ‘this kid will go early in the draft’ or ‘this kid will be playing in the OHL next year’,” Duffy said.

 

“You never know, you might see one of these kids suiting up at the Barrie Molson Centre on Saturday nights next year.”

 

Duffy considers the best matchup of the weekend to be between his Colts and the York-Simcoe Express, as the top two teams in the ETA will meet on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

 

“It’s the first game of the showcase, but it also features the two (OHL Cup) ranked teams in the ETA,” said Duffy of the fifth-ranked Express and the seventh-ranked Colts.

 

Admission is free for all of the weekend’s games.

[misfish]

“If you’re doing your own thing and being an individual, the (scouts) are just going to walk away from you,” Duffy added. “You just have to play a (team) game and forget about the people in the stands.”

 

I know a few boys that played like that,and thought they were the next great one.

 

They aint playing any where.Might of had the money,but not the talent.

 

It,s good hockey.