Hounds Weekly: New Management Hopes to Build Contender in Mississauga

[tcookie 893]

there's a text-only version at the bottom if you want it

 

 

 

--- text-only version ---

We’re about to drop the puck on S76, and the Mississauga Hounds are under new management. While the Hounds went to the Founders Cup Finals in S74, they were a disappointing 19-47-5 last season, finishing 30 points back of Yukon for the final playoff spot. With new GM Zetterberg and assistant GM tcookie leading the way, the Hounds are hoping to get back on track quickly, both in the locker room and on the ice.

 

With only one player set to return from last season, the Hounds opted to defer on a number of high draft picks in the S76 VHLM draft, trading down to acquire more picks, or picks for S77 when the team will be gearing up for a true championship push. But don’t expect this S76 squad to go down easily. Hounds fans saw first hand what an upstart, hard-working group of players can do in the playoffs when the Miami Marauders swept them in the S74 Founders Cup Finals - a team that both Zetterberg and tcookie had connections with.

 

The Hounds ended up with three picks in the second round, selecting the promising (and huge) physical forward Druss Deathwalker at 15th overall, then defensemen Chris P Bacon and Aurelien Moreau at 17 and 18. Some scoring punch in Guy Lambert and Miles Johnson joined the team in round four, while the Hounds see some potential in depth pickups Ashton Hauff, Two Madd, and Miks Sunish. Andrew Bowman, drafted in the fifth round, makes a solid goaltending tandem with Luke Spinelli, the only returning player from last year’s team. Meanwhile, Owen Taylor - acquired from Miami in the off-season - is another nasty, physical forward like Deathwalker that will surely make the Hounds a difficult team to play against.

 

The Hounds may not begin the year as one of the favourites, but they hope to build a competitive team, and perhaps equally importantly, a strong locker room that players want to be a part of. There will be a focus on player development, but this is certainly a squad talented enough to get into the playoffs and see what happens from there. “We are just looking for activity and buy-in from our players and we can make some noise. We’re going to put in the work on our end and we’d love to see a winning team here in Mississauga as soon as possible,” says tcookie.

 

The Hounds are just a couple days away from puck drop and while they are happy with the players acquired from the draft, defense is still a weakness with only two players on the roster. They’ve been in on some impressive prospects on the waiver market, but have seen Reylynn Reinhart go to Houston, Shawn Glade IV to Halifax, Nixon Caldwell to Philadelphia, JaredN to Yukon, and Rolf Fizzlebeef Jr. to Las Vegas. “Of course, it’s not fun to lose out on players and there are a lot of really great young players there that would’ve been great to have here,” says tcookie. “It’s just how the business goes. Those decisions aren’t easy for anyone. We believe in what we’re building here, but we know it won’t come easy.”

 

Players Mentioned: @animal74 @Chris P Bacon @Frank @Midnite @Spartakiller2 @hess30 @Buffalo Sabres @Miks Sunins @Lspinelli @Owen Taylor @Zetterberg @Ricer13 @TacticalHammer  @Kendrick @jared @ShawnGlade

[Owen Taylor 5]

nuts man. absolutely nuts. good work

[animal74 1,803]

This is slick @tcookie! Looking forward to more!