Flint Firebirds 2021-22 Season Thread

[OHL Fan]

Gretz

Wouldnt they want to keep a local kid?

 

[MJ5]

Wouldnt they want to keep a local kid?

I would want to keep the best and most deserving players.

He would easily be 4th on that list.

 

[dirty12]

I think it could be a good idea to rotate four OAs for the couple of months allowed to find out exactly what the roster has and needs before trading one away.

 

[TcNorth]

Well he was an associate coach for a few years in Niagara and head coach for the icehogs in the ahl coaching Blackhawks prospects. He has a decent coaching resume.

He was at OHL Niagara for “1” year. He then went to scout for NHL Phoenix, but was fired from their after just a year. We shall see how it goes. He does have lots of AHL experience.

 

[TcNorth]

Tristan Bertucci was supposedly one of the best Defenseman in minor junior hockey. 6-2 nearly 180lbs. Seems like a solid pick and I hope they got assurances he would report! Little surprised our 1st and 2nd round picks were defenseman (Janes Petrovski 6-3 and 190lbs.).

 

[Firebrd828]

Dang...what's up with this Oakville Rangers team that had 5 of their guys taken in the first 11 picks...???!!!

 

[Toldyaso]

He was at OHL Niagara for “1” year. He then went to scout for NHL Phoenix, but was fired from their after just a year. We shall see how it goes. He does have lots of AHL experience.

That is correct 1 year. Nothing gets by you does it sparky.

 

[TcNorth]

That is correct 1 year. Nothing gets by you does it sparky.

You have been the first to correct me in the past. Just returning the favor.

 

[Toldyaso]

You have been the first to correct me in the past. Just returning the favor.

Touche! You have bloodied me sir. Prepare to defend yourself.

 

[BadgerBruce]

Dang...what's up with this Oakville Rangers team that had 5 of their guys taken in the first 11 picks...???!!!

This past “season” (or non-season, if you prefer) in Ontario’s pandemic ravaged minor hockey system saw the overwhelming majority of minor midget players registered “at home” instead of with GTHL minor midget teams. They had no choice.

Usually, GTHL minor midget teams are absolutely loaded with imports, but that didn’t happen this past year; the GTHL couldn’t run a season of any kind at all and the area rinks were all locked up for months at a time. They still are.

So the Oakville Rangers situation is a pandemic anomaly. For what it’s worth, they intermittently practiced in small groups when that was allowed and played a handful of 4-on-4 “physically distanced” inter-squad games, but nearly all of the player evaluations are derived from the 2019-20 Bantam season, with a bit of “what might have been” projections about the lost 2020-21 season tossed in.

Maybe Oakville would have been a great team in 2020-21, but nobody will ever know.

 

[MJ5]

I think Daks Klinkhammer might be my favorite name in this draft. Really hope he makes it.

 

[FireBird71]

 

[FireBird71]

Seats look awesome

 

[TcNorth]

Besides Kuzmin (Import), Terry, and Gretz. we will be young and inexperienced on Defense with:

Deline
Harper
D’Amato. 1st season
Bertucci. R
Petrovski. R

Kuzmin will be in his 1st season, but had been playing on his national team.

 

[Firebrd828]

Besides Kuzmin (Import), Terry, and Gretz. we will be young and inexperienced on Defense with:

Deline
Harper
D’Amato. 1st season
Bertucci. R
Petrovski. R

Kuzmin will be in his 1st season, but had been playing on his national team.

What a shame to think of Flint going from the defense that they had in 2019-20, to defense now being a (probable) position of need.

 

[MJ5]

Besides Kuzmin (Import), Terry, and Gretz. we will be young and inexperienced on Defense with:

Deline
Harper
D’Amato. 1st season
Bertucci. R
Petrovski. R

Kuzmin will be in his 1st season, but had been playing on his national team.

Harper and Deline showed spurts of being quality players, hoping they will show some consistency night to night.

 

[dirty12]

What a shame to think of Flint going from the defense that they had in 2019-20, to defense now being a (probable) position of need.

that was a really good group of D. Kuzmin, three 19 yr olds in Terry, Deline, & Harper, and maybe Gretz as the 4th OA should provide a decent enough bridge to build the D back up.

 

[MJ5]

Good to see Geno sign.

 

[MJ5]

 

[BadgerBruce]

Did the Firebirds fire associate coach Ryan Kuwabara? No announcement on the team website but he’s no longer listed in the staff directory.

 

[MJ5]

Did the Firebirds fire associate coach Ryan Kuwabara? No announcement on the team website but he’s no longer listed in the staff directory.

I would imagine when Wellwood resigned, the staff went with him.

Greg Stefan is still the goalie coach, but the rest of it looks like fresh faces. Equipment manager is a new guy as well. Simon Payette is with the Laval Rocket of the AHL now, so he took a step up.

 

[Smu fan]

The hits just keep rolling in……..

 

[Savard18]

Well, at least this hiring announcement is better than the last couple.

 

[Smu fan]

Well, at least this hiring announcement is better than the last couple.

Well, I would have to agree with that.
I’m curious how this entire staff has or will be turned over and they expect to attract top players.

 

[HealthyScratch1]

I’m shocked at this one. Jared is a top notch guy and I’m surprised he took this gig. I wish him well.