Led by a passionate, veteran group of captains, three NCAA D-1 commits with more to come and a coaching staff that believes deeply in the talent at hand, it’s no wonder that hockey people all over North America believe this edition of the Balmoral Hall Blazers could be good enough to bring home another JWHL title.
For Balmoral Hall Blazers interim director of hockey and head coach Regan Boulton, the upcoming 2023-24 season just means more of the same. As far as Boulton is concerned, she wants her Blazers to play the same way they’ve always played.
“We played well last year and I expect we’ll play well this season,” said Boulton with a smile. “I mean, I expect the same from this team as I do every year – a strong competitive team that competes with the strongest teams in North America. I expect a good, fast, puck-moving team.
“Every year, we have people in the hockey world and university-level coaches who come up to us and say how our team plays incredibly well together. And we do. We always work well together as a team and don’t do things individually, that’s how we have had success. Once again, I expect this team to compete for the JWHL championship and hopefully, we’ll be looking at back-to-back-to-back- back at the Mandi Schwartz tournament in Regina.”
In fairness, this isn’t even a humblebrag. It’s completely matter-of-fact. And it didn’t take long for Boulton to see how good her team will be this season. In their opening pre-season game, they took a 4-0 victory over the always-strong MFHL U18 AAA Winnipeg Avros. Balmoral Hall controlled the game, outshooting the Avros 36-9.
Then, they flew east to play in the prestigious 64-team Stoney Creek U22 University Showcase and came home with a 3-1-1 record.
“Our only loss was an overtime loss to an extremely talented U22 team from Mississauga,” Boulton explained. “This tournament is a big deal. It’s definitely one of the most highly scouted tournaments of the year. It always features the best teams from around North America competing in it and for us to go in having only one game under our belts and to win three, have an overtime loss against one of the Top 10 programs in the country and tie one, as well, was big for us and our confidence.
“We’re a U18 prep team with two 14-year-olds on the roster and we compete and are successful in the U22 division against all the best teams in North America. The competition that was there was incredible. It’s loaded with national team players from U18 worlds and the best U22 players from Canada and the United States including Nela Lopusanova, a player from Slovakia who took the world by storm at the U18 worlds last year. This tournament just has a load of high-end talent.”
Much of that talent wore the green and gold of the BH Blazers, a team that Boulton believes was made a lot more confident thanks to the way it finished the 2022-23 season.
“I thought we ended last season pretty well,” Boulton said. “We went into the JWHL playoffs and obviously didn’t win it like we’d hoped, but in our last game, we took Stanstead (Quebec), one of the best teams in North America, into overtime and then beat them. We ended on a high note winning that third-place game. I think, for our returning players coming into this year, that was huge for us, just knowing the level our team can play at.
“Obviously you want to win the JWHL championship tournament, but to come in third place in what is essentially a U20 league with teams able to have post-grad players, says a lot about our program. Especially, beating a stacked, older Stanstead roster. That was huge for us.”
It didn’t hurt that her charges opened the season with an impressive win over what should be a very good Avros team.
“We are a pretty good team,” she said. “That was probably the best first game of a season that our team has ever played. We have eight new players, all learning to play in a new system and play with new players, so for us to come out and really take control of the game was very impressive.”
The eight new players are: Shattuck-St. Mary’s transfer Rowyn Ringor, highly skilled Maddie Kaiser from the SMA Flames, goalie Celeste Pelletier, forward Kurtia Yetman, defender Julianna DeGroot, two Grade 9s Payton Chornley and Maddie McKay and Czech national U18 player Lucie Velinska out of RoKi in Finland.
All eight of those players are already very good. As an example, Ringor has already committed to play next season at NCAA D-1 C.W. Post University.
However, they’ll all learn much more playing for Boulton and her assistant Kelsey McHolm in a solid BH system led by a veteran leadership group consisting of captain Morgan Smith, who has committed to NCAA D-1 Bemidji State University next season, along with assistant captains Jordan Nishi, who has committed to NCAA D-1 Merrimack University; Abby Pineau and Cailin Yackel.
“All four of them are the epitome of what it means to be a Blazer,” said Boulton. “They eat, sleep and breathe this team and they’re constantly doing everything they can for the good of the team – on the ice, off the ice and in the classroom. They’re fully committed to this program which is huge because the younger players see that and respond to it.
“They are all great players but even better people and teammates. The four of them are extremely tight-knit. At school, if you see one of them, you know the other three aren't far behind.
“The coaching staff and the team are extremely lucky to have these four leading the way as three-to-four-year veterans on this team. They all know the ins and outs and what it takes to be successful on and off the ice. None of these four cut corners, they lead by example every day, and they play a huge role in the culture of our dressing room. They’re all great role models for our younger players and it gives our younger kids a lot to look up to.”
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