Owen Sound Attack 2023-24 Off-Season Thread (Part 2)

[JRHockeyBUZZZ]

Well Owen Sound' Season comes to an end after a 4 game sweep for the 2nd season in a row. Can not help but think that this is one where Players, Coaches, Management & Fans look back and wonder what could have been. This team for me was the most disappointing team in the league & possibly the entire CHL. Far too often they looked dis-interested and lacked the effort needed to compete in this league. They had one of the best goalies in the league all season and arguably over played him and wore him down. The interim coach needs to be let go. Making comments regarding players in the news paper, Not being able to make minor adjustments mid game or at all during the series. Dale Degray should 100% be placed in the hot seat for what was possibly the most mis-managed trade deadline- Moving 07 1st round pick Addy to the Petes for McCue & Smith moving them up to 8 04's at the finale of this season. Based on the attendance for tonights game 4- It looks like the fans had given up as well. To me this is a great time for the Attack to hit the reset- Team is going to look a lot different roster wise next year having to move 5 bodies out (at least). Bring in a new coach who will connect with the younger players & for the sanity of many members of Attack Nation.. bring in a GM who is ready to jump and go for it. Degray has been to complacent for too long because he did not want to sell to rebuild.. well guess what rebuild time and you no longer have your 30 win streak to say "HEY BUT LOOK, We did this"

All in all disappointing, but the better team won.

 

[leafsrdue]

Very disappointing season. Kudos to the fans who stuck with it until the end. Hopefully changes are going to happen and we can look forward to cheering on a young team next year.

 

[StingUpdates]

Feel for you fans. I feel your management, ownership whoever fumbled this roster catastrophically the last 2 years.

U had this incredibly young promising team push a great Flint team to 7 2 years ago then did nothing last yr & got swept. This yr your everybody's favorite to be top 3 & fire your coach 2 weeks in, rightly or wrongly that's poorly handled.

Then your the 1st team to trade an '07 and it's not even for an elite piece & to make it worse that's the only move u make.

Wasted such a highly touted, fun group backed by an elite goalie.

 

[Millpond]

I'm glad this season is over, one of the most disappointing I can ever remember, but very sad that the OHL careers of our three overagers end this way.

Feels just like yesterday those three plus lawrence had us all optimistic. Instead it's back to back sweeps.

I was a proponent of keeping Lawrence last fall.
I thought he was a natural fit for Degray's 'we need to get bigger' decree.

Then he promptly dispatched the two biggest players, Kaleb Lawrence and Nick Addy.

 

[Millpond]

Feel for you fans. I feel your management, ownership whoever fumbled this roster catastrophically the last 2 years.

U had this incredibly young promising team push a great Flint team to 7 2 years ago then did nothing last yr & got swept. This yr your everybody's favorite to be top 3 & fire your coach 2 weeks in, rightly or wrongly that's poorly handled.

Then your the 1st team to trade an '07 and it's not even for an elite piece & to make it worse that's the only move u make.

Wasted such a highly touted, fun group backed by an elite goalie.

Most of us would like to wake up tomorrow and forget about it.

 

[OSMike]

On top of a new coach, how about a reasonable ice technician. It's embarassing to see the lakes of water behind both nets every game.

 

[JRHockeyBUZZZ]

On top of a new coach, how about a reasonable ice technician. It's embarassing to see the lakes of water behind both nets every game.

Don't know if its still the case but i think Owen Sound is one of the only teams in the league who operate with one Zamboni. Maybe time to add the 2nd to speed up the resurfacing and allow more time to dry. Teams in the OJHL have two zamboni's lol...
My List for Owen Sound upgrades (Non on ice Hockey Related/ Management)
- Add 2nd Zamboni
- Create a better atmosphere (Player Introductions, Louder Music, Better use of Jumbotron)
- New Facebook & Twitter person; Do not know what happened this year went from one of the best to follow last season to tweets that were improperly worded (3 Scores to 5 Scores) Not major issue but a bad look for an Ontario Hockey League team..
-Upgrade to the better Rogers TV cameras.

In terms of on ice product.. theres even more work to do..

 

[leafsrdue]

Don't know if its still the case but i think Owen Sound is one of the only teams in the league who operate with one Zamboni. Maybe time to add the 2nd to speed up the resurfacing and allow more time to dry. Teams in the OJHL have two zamboni's lol...
My List for Owen Sound upgrades (Non on ice Hockey Related/ Management)
- Add 2nd Zamboni
- Create a better atmosphere (Player Introductions, Louder Music, Better use of Jumbotron)
- New Facebook & Twitter person; Do not know what happened this year went from one of the best to follow last season to tweets that were improperly worded (3 Scores to 5 Scores) Not major issue but a bad look for an Ontario Hockey League team..
-Upgrade to the better Rogers TV cameras.

In terms of on ice product.. theres even more work to do..

Twitter and game summaries are badly written. 2nd Zambo would help. Camera work is brutal and replays are often non existent. And why do you put the hot dog fixings right beside the coffee stuff? I thought the atmosphere for the playoff games was good, the crowd did their best to inspire the team.

 

[HockeyPops]

And why do you put the hot dog fixings right beside the coffee stuff?

This has to be one of the best criticisms of an OHL hockey team that I have ever read.

 

[Stellar29]

Don't know if its still the case but i think Owen Sound is one of the only teams in the league who operate with one Zamboni. Maybe time to add the 2nd to speed up the resurfacing and allow more time to dry. Teams in the OJHL have two zamboni's lol...
My List for Owen Sound upgrades (Non on ice Hockey Related/ Management)
- Add 2nd Zamboni
- Create a better atmosphere (Player Introductions, Louder Music, Better use of Jumbotron)
- New Facebook & Twitter person; Do not know what happened this year went from one of the best to follow last season to tweets that were improperly worded (3 Scores to 5 Scores) Not major issue but a bad look for an Ontario Hockey League team..
-Upgrade to the better Rogers TV cameras.

In terms of on ice product.. theres even more work to do..

I can speak to a few of the items you've listed. The rink is a public facility and so too is the zamboni. The zamboni is brand new. You don't really need two zambonis, just need the operator to restrict the water flow in the turns behind the net. It's not really rocket science to fix but definitely needs to be corrected.

I think they did make strides with the in house production this year. They could do more with the player intros but for the love of all that is holy don't bring back the inflatable bear head lol. They have a two minute production on the jumbotron pre-game where they dim the lights and display a highlight pack(can definitely quibble about what they clip in the video though as it's not great) along with music. Maybe it's just me but I don't love overly loud music in the building as I know the people around me are often talking about the play on the ice during stoppages etc and it's tough to do over the top of overly loud music. Maybe I'm mistaken but I believe sound improvements are part of the upgrades planned in the immediate future.

There's limitations with the communications services available in the arena(only so much bandwidth to go around) which likely inhibits production quality on the tv product. There's a certain company that has exclusive contracts with the City of Owen Sound who would have to make certain upgrades to said services in order to make improvements on that front. It also impacts the review process on the tablets by on ice officials as it's pretty slow. Cell service is congested in house too with a full building. Efforts to resolve said cell congestion were denied due to those exclusive contracts situation with the city who wouldn't permit a competitor to install new tech, which is technically their right to do as they own/operate the facility. Investments would have to be made by the company with the contracts.

 

[bobber]

I can speak to a few of the items you've listed. The rink is a public facility and so too is the zamboni. The zamboni is brand new. You don't really need two zambonis, just need the operator to restrict the water flow in the turns behind the net. It's not really rocket science to fix but definitely needs to be corrected.

I think they did make strides with the in house production this year. They could do more with the player intros but for the love of all that is holy don't bring back the inflatable bear head lol. They have a two minute production on the jumbotron pre-game where they dim the lights and display a highlight pack(can definitely quibble about what they clip in the video though as it's not great) along with music. Maybe it's just me but I don't love overly loud music in the building as I know the people around me are often talking about the play on the ice during stoppages etc and it's tough to do over the top of overly loud music. Maybe I'm mistaken but I believe sound improvements are part of the upgrades planned in the immediate future.

There's limitations with the communications services available in the arena(only so much bandwidth to go around) which likely inhibits production quality on the tv product. There's a certain company that has exclusive contracts with the City of Owen Sound who would have to make certain upgrades to said services in order to make improvements on that front. It also impacts the review process on the tablets by on ice officials as it's pretty slow. Cell service is congested in house too with a full building. Efforts to resolve said cell congestion were denied due to those exclusive contracts situation with the city who wouldn't permit a competitor to install new tech, which is technically their right to do as they own/operate the facility. Investments would have to be made by the company with the contracts.

There seems to be lots of concern and advice for the Attack to make changes to their facility and team structure. It's easy to make a laundry list of improvements on social media to a dozen or so fans. In reality actual fans that attend games on a regular basis might see a need for change in some areas but like every other franchise it comes from the city who operate the building or owners of the franchise. Some paint a dismal picture of the facilty yet for the size of the city its fine. Make a Wish won't help. We attended games there a few times and always enjoyed the building. Fans are some of the best in the league. I think it's great that a small market city like Owen Sound has a franchise. By the way we never noticed they only have one zamboni
when we were ice fishing in the arena!

 

[Millpond]

I'd bet if we just beat Saginaw out last night, sll the aforementioned 'issues' at the Bayshore wouldn't exist today.

 

[HockeyPops]

Or, after a theoretical historic first round sweep of Saginaw like that, perhaps the Bayshore might have additional issues?

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finance.yahoo.com

 

[OSattackfan]

Twitter and game summaries are badly written. 2nd Zambo would help. Camera work is brutal and replays are often non existent. And why do you put the hot dog fixings right beside the coffee stuff? I thought the atmosphere for the playoff games was good, the crowd did their best to inspire the team.

There is lots that could be improved. Relay out the beverage area, snack bars, 2 Zambonies, cleaner washrooms . More effort into game /arena experience. This arena is long over due for upgrades.

 

[bobber]

I'd bet if we just beat Saginaw out last night, sll the aforementioned 'issues' at the Bayshore wouldn't exist today.

Well said. The Soo would be worried if they were next.

 

[HockeyPops]

Well said. The Soo would be worried if they were next.

The Soo wouldn't be next though. London would get Owen Sound and the Soo would play Kit/Erie

 

[JRHockeyBUZZZ]

I'd bet if we just beat Saginaw out last night, sll the aforementioned 'issues' at the Bayshore wouldn't exist today.

If the series went to a game 5 the issues would have been tabled for one day.

I can speak to a few of the items you've listed. The rink is a public facility and so too is the zamboni. The zamboni is brand new. You don't really need two zambonis, just need the operator to restrict the water flow in the turns behind the net. It's not really rocket science to fix but definitely needs to be corrected.

I think they did make strides with the in house production this year. They could do more with the player intros but for the love of all that is holy don't bring back the inflatable bear head lol. They have a two minute production on the jumbotron pre-game where they dim the lights and display a highlight pack(can definitely quibble about what they clip in the video though as it's not great) along with music. Maybe it's just me but I don't love overly loud music in the building as I know the people around me are often talking about the play on the ice during stoppages etc and it's tough to do over the top of overly loud music. Maybe I'm mistaken but I believe sound improvements are part of the upgrades planned in the immediate future.

There's limitations with the communications services available in the arena(only so much bandwidth to go around) which likely inhibits production quality on the tv product. There's a certain company that has exclusive contracts with the City of Owen Sound who would have to make certain upgrades to said services in order to make improvements on that front. It also impacts the review process on the tablets by on ice officials as it's pretty slow. Cell service is congested in house too with a full building. Efforts to resolve said cell congestion were denied due to those exclusive contracts situation with the city who wouldn't permit a competitor to install new tech, which is technically their right to do as they own/operate the facility. Investments would have to be made by the company with the contracts.

I do not know off the top of my head any arenas in the OHL that are not ran by the city.
North Bay has spent millions to renovate and get theirs up to league standards. Brantford has spent millions. Peterborough. Niagara built a new one to get up to league standards. Flint put money into their arena. Saginaw (albeit to host mem cup).. This is just off the top of my head for teams recently putting money into their arena (10ish years). Maybe ownership should push the city for some upgrades so they can join the rest of the league with modernized arenas. Then again the ownership crew seems to be okay with mediocrity, Facility wise & Team wise!

 

[bobber]

The Soo wouldn't be next though. London would get Owen Sound and the Soo would play Kit/Erie

I don't think the Soo would be worried about either of those choices. Maybe Erie?

 

[leafsrdue]

All kidding aside, it is still an enjoyable experience going to an Attack game. Sure there are issues but the alternative is to not have an OHL team. I hope fans understand that the next few years might be a struggle and will continue to support the team.

 

[Spills]

All kidding aside, it is still an enjoyable experience going to an Attack game. Sure there are issues but the alternative is to not have an OHL team. I hope fans understand that the next few years might be a struggle and will continue to support the team.

I guess you can complain about a lot of things. But if you don’t have an OHL team there is lots of other things to do in the winter months in Owen Sound area right ? Lol. Fans are lucky to still have a team in your smaller market.

 

[dmead]

Freaking love the Bayshore. As long as the doors stay closed during game play, I see no issues. It all adds to the game experience.

 

[OSMike]

Just want to clarify, as a dad of a 7 and 9 year old we are very happy with the in game experience. and have no complaints The move to the lights out at the start of the game was a great step this year. Also Allison is doing a fabulous job with photos. And the Attack Pak jelly beans really make it for the kids

The ice needs to be addressed. That is on the Attack to put their supplier (the city) on notice that the condition is not acceptable and they need to do better. Both Monday and Wednesday saw big lakes at both ends. Wednesday a ref took a shovel and moved water after a few minutes in the period. Monday we watched George rather than carve up the crease at the start of a period, squeegee his crease.

 

[Stellar29]

If the series went to a game 5 the issues would have been tabled for one day.

I do not know off the top of my head any arenas in the OHL that are not ran by the city.
North Bay has spent millions to renovate and get theirs up to league standards. Brantford has spent millions. Peterborough. Niagara built a new one to get up to league standards. Flint put money into their arena. Saginaw (albeit to host mem cup).. This is just off the top of my head for teams recently putting money into their arena (10ish years). Maybe ownership should push the city for some upgrades so they can join the rest of the league with modernized arenas. Then again the ownership crew seems to be okay with mediocrity, Facility wise & Team wise!

There's plenty of money flowing into the facility. Maybe it's not noticed by the casuals but the building isn't sitting idle. They've spent money and continue to spend money on the ice machinery, over $550,000 alone. The scoreboard is fairly new. The zamboni is brand new, $110,000. All the concessions have been updated for debit/credit transactions and renovations to washrooms/concessions $20,000. New dehumidifiers were installed, $200,000. They added more premium seating and four new suites. New LED lighting in the facility, $115,000. The north parking lot is scheduled to be paved this year.

Keep in mind, the City of Owen Sound's annual operating budget is around ~$30 million and arena upgrades are expensive. Upgrades don't happen overnight but credit where it's due, the Bayshore has and will continue to see investment. It's an older building and has it's limitations but it's not being replaced anytime soon.

 

[Stellar29]

Just want to clarify, as a dad of a 7 and 9 year old we are very happy with the in game experience. and have no complaints The move to the lights out at the start of the game was a great step this year. Also Allison is doing a fabulous job with photos. And the Attack Pak jelly beans really make it for the kids

The ice needs to be addressed. That is on the Attack to put their supplier (the city) on notice that the condition is not acceptable and they need to do better. Both Monday and Wednesday saw big lakes at both ends. Wednesday a ref took a shovel and moved water after a few minutes in the period. Monday we watched George rather than carve up the crease at the start of a period, squeegee his crease.

I've seen the same as you, it really does look like a lake in the end of the ice surface. Definitely needs to be fixed but as someone who knows a former zamboni driver, it's user error. They have the ability to restrict the water on the machine to not keep adding more and more water every time they turn around the zamboni. The water will never freeze before play starts up post intermission with how much they lay down.

Honestly, it's not really been a particularly great year for the arena staff either between the ice and the rink doors that kept popping open that took multiple games to fix.

 

[JRHockeyBUZZZ]

There's plenty of money flowing into the facility. Maybe it's not noticed by the casuals but the building isn't sitting idle. They've spent money and continue to spend money on the ice machinery, over $550,000 alone. The scoreboard is fairly new. The zamboni is brand new, $110,000. All the concessions have been updated for debit/credit transactions and renovations to washrooms/concessions $20,000. New dehumidifiers were installed, $200,000. They added more premium seating and four new suites. New LED lighting in the facility, $115,000. The north parking lot is scheduled to be paved this year.

Debit & Credit should have been implemented long before. Its been in majority of rinks since early 2010's.. "Premium seating" is stretching it, wooden boxes put up around the same seats in one end of the arena. DEHU & Lighting sure. Could argue they could have installed strobe lights for when the lights are off to add a little more..
Maybe I am in a different boat than others here. But to me the Bayshore is losing its charm. there's other arenas in the league just as old that have become much more modernized, and added simple things to improve the fan experience.