Petes keep GM, coaching staff
OHL: Petes president supportive
Posted By MIKE DAVIES , EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
Updated 2 hours ago
The Peterborough Petes are committed to general manager Jeff Twohey and their coaching staff for next season, says the club's president.
While the Petes put in a valiant effort in a four-game loss to the Brampton Battalion, it doesn't hide the fact the club's regular season performance didn't meet expectations for a team in its third-year of rebuilding. They finished with one less point than last year squeaking into the playoffs by one point. It's their third straight year with a losing record following their OHL championship in 2005-06.
It's created discontent among some fans with Twohey usually the target of the criticism. During one late-season loss a vocal fan could be heard chanting "Fire Twohey."
However, Petes' president Ken Jackman said the board has faith in Twohey and the coaching staff who are all under contract until the end of the 2009-2010 season. Head coach Ken McRae was Twohey's hire last summer and Jackman feels they should be given the two years to turn things around.
"I don't anticipate any changes," said Jackman. "I'll stand behind Jeff. Nobody knows the league better than Jeff. I'll put his work ethic up against anybody.
"We brought two new coaches into the league who didn't really know the league at all which was a disadvantage to them. I think we're quite pleased with the effort we got from Ken McRae and Ryan Barnes. They worked quite well together and I think they make a nice fit with Jeff. I know there were no issues as far as how well they worked together."
Jackman said he hears complaints constantly and he and the board don't disregard those fans.
"I know the fans aren't happy. We can't use rebuilding as an excuse every year," Jackman said. "I know that's what is frustrating the fans and that's not lost on us."
T here was upheaval in staff
last summer and McRae became the club's fifth coach in five years, including an interim span by former assistant coach Darren Keily in 2004. Jackman wants stability.
"The fans are the ones paying the tickets and filling the seats and we don't disregard what they say. We can't. We like to feel we don't take our season ticket holders for granted, either, but we can't just react all the time, too. We have to take a real good look and make decisions based not just on reactions, but good decision making."
"I'd like the fans to think of what our team would have looked like with Zach Bogosian in our lineup," he said. "In some cases we're drafting too good because we've been penalized with Zach Bogosian and Jordan Staal who we haven't been able to hold onto."
Jackman said there are draft picks which didn't pan out, but that's the nature of scouting. He says the draft is becoming more challenging every year for smaller market teams.
"Nowadays, kids have more options available to them," said Jackman. "There are things which go on in the draft which are out of our control sometimes
and that's all I'm going to say about that. There are things out of our control and the general fan who just wants to come and be a true blue Petes' fan, they might not understand that. Then again, a lot of our fans do understand that. We have a lot of knowledgeable fans. These are some of the things we are up against."
Jackman says injuries played a factor preventing the coaches, much of the year, from icing a consistent lineup. When things stabilized somewhat the club made a late season surge to get into the playoffs. He said some veterans bear responsibility for not meeting expectations.
"This all sounds like excuses and we're not trying to make excuses," said Jackman. "We are going to take a look at ourselves. We are here to put the best team on the ice, too, that's our ultimate goal. Jeff does everything in his power to put the best product on the ice."
Jackman said he was encouraged by the development of many players particularly young defencemen like Adrian Robertson, Jeff Braithwaite, Adam Sedlak and Derek Holden who he says improved significantly through the year. Add in Ryan Spooner's 30-goal output as a 16-year-old rookie and strides made by players like Justin Larson and Liam Heelis and Jackman sees some strong building blocks.
"I think there is a lot to look forward to," said Jackman.
The executive has scheduled April 20 for its year-end review with staff and he expects some serious introspection. He said there are some tough decisions to be made on returning players, standing pat is not an option in some cases, and how to best improve the team.
"The work starts now for next season," said Jackman.
