Hail to the Whale.
The Fergus Whalers certainly made an impression in their first ever PJHL season, finishing 4th in a very strong Pollock Division.
The Whalers return this season under the same staff, led by President and Director of Hockey Ops, Jason Baier, GM Craig Dool, Head Coach Ryan Black and Assistant Coaches Randy Coverdale, Mark Martin and Jeff Hoelscher.
With respect to last year's club, a few notable players will not be returning. That includes local star Jett Morningstar, whose 28 points ranked third on the club. Leading D man Kyle Parsons, who put up 25 points in just 31 games, has aged out, alongside fellow defender Connor Bradley, who laid a physical beating on opposing forwards. Zach Nault, another OA defender who put up 17 points, will also be missed. Those three represented the heart of the Whalers D core, and new faces will need to step up. Fergus native and team captain, Jack McDonald, who had 14 points in just 19 contests, will also leave a void not only on the ice but off it as he ages out.
Despite some pretty heavy losses, the Whalers are returning a pretty stacked group. That starts up front with last year's leading scorer, Ty Anselmini, who had a ridiculous 63 points in only 31 games. Anselmini, a former OHLer, has all the tools to lead the league in scoring, with incredible wheels and hockey sense. He could break 90, even 100 points, if he plays a majority of the games this year.
Joining Anselmini on the attack will be Henry Turner, a returning forward for only got into 11 games last season, but in those, he put up 18 points. President Jason Baier says they're excited to have Turner captain the squad this year, with a 200-foot intensity that inspires others to follow suit. Another acquisition from last year, Jacob Lesser, will return looking to build on his 16 point effort in 20 games. Additionally, Tyler Ewald, the team's second leading scorer with 29 points last season, will also be back, giving the Whalers an extremely potent attack that will now have the benefit of past experience playing together. Rookie Mark Pyzowski returns to the fold after a 9 point outing last year.
On the blue line, JJ Lavigne, a forward who turned into a very smooth skating and capable defender for the team last year, will return looking to add to his 19 point season last year. Also returning is Ryan McDougall, a rookie last year who had 11 points and should feature more with ample opportunities to do so. Those two are also very talented lacrosse players, having just won the Canadian National Jr. B Lacrosse title, the Founder's Cup, with the Elora Mohawks. Being high end lacrosse players, Lavigne and McDougall are not shy about getting physical, and opponents shpuld keep their heads on a swivel when those two are on the ice.
New faces on the back end include Nolan Drury, who was acquired from PJHL Alliston in the off-season, and Alex Spencer from PJHL Hespeler. Baier is confident those two veterans who already have plenty of Jr. C minutes under their belts can help the Whalers lock it down defensively. Justin Ewald, Tyler's younger brother and an 18-year-old who was a rookie last year with PJHL Blenheim, is an exciting acquisition after a very impressive 47 point campaign. He should be an early favourite to get power play reps with his puck moving ability and accurate shot from the point. Also, a major addition is Ethan Broderick, an OJHL Tier 2 Jr. A champion last year with the Collingwood Blues. The overager will bring some snarl and high end talent to a rebuilt back end that is as formidable as any in the league.
Another big advantage for the Whalers is the return of starting goaltender Bradley Boville. Baier worked with Boville when he backed up Tyler Parr with the Mitchell Hawks team that won the division a few years ago, and jumped at the chance to acquire him as the team's starter for the Whaler's inaugural season. Boville rewarded that faith by turning in an 11-14-2-1 record, a 3.06 GAA and .915 save percentage with a shutout in just under 1,700 minutes. Boville was a horse, and his win total was only under .500 due to the team's slow start as everyone tried to get acclimated with each other. He faced a lot of shots in some of those early days, and held the team in plenty of games. His backup, the younger Jacob McKinney, was moved to PJHL Hespeler with a want to play more, so a new face in the crease is Trevor Woods, a U-18 Guelph Jr. Gryphons player who has played one game for GOJHL Pelham.
The Whalers have their eyes set on being a contender this year after a very impressive debut year. The roster reflects that, and they'll be a very tough matchup night in, night out. Fergus begins their season on Saturday, September 14 in Goderich at 8 p.m., followed by their home opener on September 15 at 3 p.m. against Hanover.
For more on the Whalers and their upcoming sophomore season, listen to the full interview with President and Director of Hockey Ops, Jason Baier, here courtesy of Instigating with Clarkey and Drury: