The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League 2021-22 season begins Oct. 1. Leading into the season we are providing previews on each of the teams.
Next up are the Princeton Posse in the Bill Ohlhausen Division. The Posse enter the season with a new Head Coach & Assistant GM in Mark Readman, taking over from Mark McNaughton, who maintains his role as General Manager. Readman was an Associate Coach/Assistant GM with the Creston Valley Thunder Cats.
Key Returnees:
F-Jake McCulley, Sean Mitchell, D- Curtis Gould, Scott Burgess, G- Peyton Trsazka (at the Nanaimo Clippers BCHL camp), Darby Tipton.
Rookies to Watch:
F- Carson Bigras, Daniel Thiessen (currently at North Battleford Junior A camp), Tyler Rimstad (currently at North Battleford Junior A camp), Caleb Genest, D- Gavin McIntosh.
MacIntosh- Sherwood Park Kings U18AAA-He is a left-handed, smooth skater possessing a strong hockey IQ. “He will mesh well with the returning guys and is going to be a big piece on our back end.”
Bigras- Greater Vancouver Canadians U18AAA- Had 11 points in 38 games in 2019-20. “Has the ability to be a high-end offensive threat. He is exceptionally smart and has soft hands around the net.”
Thiessen- Sherwood Park Oilers U18AA – In 2019-20 he had 12 points in 23 games. He is exceptionally strong and can play any style. “He’s got some wheels and he can make some plays. He is pretty big and strong for his age.”
Rimstad- Southside Athletic Club U18AA . Had seven points in 18 games in 2019-20. “He can fly and every part of his game feeds off of his speed. He can make plays at a high pace. He’s going to be a guy that is going to be a nightmare for defenceman. Just with how aggressive he is on the forecheck.”
Genest -Saskatoon Saskatchewan, Notre Dame U18 AA – Had five points in six games in 2020-21. Genest sent the Posse a description of him saying he’s a mix of Nathan MacKinnon and Tom Wilson. “He’s a physical presence and not afraid to mix it up physically and set the tone. He’s a dog on a bone. He will never be the first guy to quit in a fight. He’s going to be a big part of our group going forward.”
Season Outlook:
Readman feels his veterans coming back are a hungry group. This off-season they went in with an aggressive approach with only seven or eight guys coming back.
“I think we’ve really managed to strike gold and hit some home runs on some guys. One of our biggest strengths is depth. I believe that we’re going to have a team where all four lines can play. They can all play any style and bring any sort of different tools to the game on any given night.”
Coach’s Quote:
“I’m exceptionally fortunate to have a guy like Mark McNaughton here being the GM. He’s done a fantastic job of laying the foundation for this group, in terms of quality people. That’s a big thing for me. I’m recruiting and I say it’s person first and player second. Mark has done a great job in establishing some veteran presence.”
