Dave Cameron has had a busy year.
The head coach and General Manager of the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors was behind the bench as Canada blew a 3-0 lead to Russia in the gold medal game of the world junior hockey championship.
He then saw and Owen Sound Attack team win game 7 of the Ontario Hockey League championship in overtime .
Now Cameron has his Majors in the semi-final of the Memorial Cup. One win away from Sunday's final. A win away from giving him a title this year.
"The elimination games are always more intense," said Cameron hours before the Majors-Ice semi-final match. "Game on."
Cameron is as intense a coach as you will find, especially on game days.
He is also one of the funniest and this morning he was at it again saying there's nothing like coaching teenagers.
"There's no such thing as you've seen it all," smiled Cameron. "Boydie (Assistant coach James Boyd) and I have a rule called the "seat belt" rule. If two days go by and there are no issues, put your seatbelt on, something's coming!"
"Thats what keeps you young in this business working with these young guys."
"I love coming to the rink and as intense as I get sometimes, I wouldn't change my job," said the 52 year old PEI native. "I consider myself fortuanate. I never take it for granted. I do enjoy it."
"A lot of reporters only see me on game days and sometimes I am really intense," said Cameron. "But there is nobody in hockey that has more fun than I do. I have a wicked sense of humour."
"My theory is if you don't enjoy what you do it is just another job."
Cameron is under huge expectations here, as he has a third chance to end the season on a winning note.
"When I first started I wouldn't have enjoyed the tournament," said Cameron. "As you get older you can sepearte the two."
Right now Cameron is enjoying the Memorial Cup. He would have more fun if he and his team got to celebrate instead of watching someone else bask in victory.
Friday, 27 May 2011
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Majors and Attack - bad blood continues
Here's hoping Owen Sound and Mississauga meet one more time.
The Majors beat the Attack last night 3-1, forcing Owen Sound to have to play a tie-breaker game tonight against the Kootenay Ice while the Majors will face the winner on Friday in the semi-final.
The bad blood between the Majors and the Attack that came out during the 7 game OHL final is once again on display.
The Attack have lost captain Garrett Wilson for the rest of the Memorial Cup after he suffered concussion like symptoms after taking a 1st period hit from Chris DeSousa of the Majors last night.
Owen Sound will go into an elimination game without their captain and Joey Hishon who was injured earlier in the tournament.
"He put his elbow right into his back, and his head bounces off the glass," said Owen Sound coach Mark Reeds. "Obviously it's a hit from behind. There's different rules and we just want to know how to play. If someone can fill me in that would be great."
"He was in a vulnerable spot," said Attack GM Dale DeGray.
There was no penalty on the play.
The Majors not surprisingly don't see it that way.
"There's hitting allowed in this game," said DeSousa. "It was kind of a freak accident. I think he hit his head on the glass. There can't be a suspension every time someone is hurt."
Majors caoch Dave Cameron said, "You go back to the playoffs, take my comments that I was fined $2,500 for, take the part out about the referees and I stated what I thought about that team. I'm not going to repeat it. When you win say little. When you lose say less."
After his team won game 5 of the OHL final, Cameron was critical of Owen Sound and accused them of diving.
For the Majors and Attack to meet for a 9th time in the last few weeks, Owen Sound will have to beat the Ice. Kootenay will have Brayden McNabb in the lineup and that doesn't sit well with the Attack.
It was McNabb's hit that knocked out Joey Hishon the first time these two teams met.
"Tonight he's going to run the power play, and our best power play guy will watch from his hotel room," said DeGray. "I'm not so sure that's fair."
The odds are against the Attack tonight but you just never know with this team - a team that has been counted out time and time again this season.
"We have a lot of fight in that dressing room," said DeGray.
The Majors beat the Attack last night 3-1, forcing Owen Sound to have to play a tie-breaker game tonight against the Kootenay Ice while the Majors will face the winner on Friday in the semi-final.
The bad blood between the Majors and the Attack that came out during the 7 game OHL final is once again on display.
The Attack have lost captain Garrett Wilson for the rest of the Memorial Cup after he suffered concussion like symptoms after taking a 1st period hit from Chris DeSousa of the Majors last night.
Owen Sound will go into an elimination game without their captain and Joey Hishon who was injured earlier in the tournament.
"He put his elbow right into his back, and his head bounces off the glass," said Owen Sound coach Mark Reeds. "Obviously it's a hit from behind. There's different rules and we just want to know how to play. If someone can fill me in that would be great."
"He was in a vulnerable spot," said Attack GM Dale DeGray.
There was no penalty on the play.
The Majors not surprisingly don't see it that way.
"There's hitting allowed in this game," said DeSousa. "It was kind of a freak accident. I think he hit his head on the glass. There can't be a suspension every time someone is hurt."
Majors caoch Dave Cameron said, "You go back to the playoffs, take my comments that I was fined $2,500 for, take the part out about the referees and I stated what I thought about that team. I'm not going to repeat it. When you win say little. When you lose say less."
After his team won game 5 of the OHL final, Cameron was critical of Owen Sound and accused them of diving.
For the Majors and Attack to meet for a 9th time in the last few weeks, Owen Sound will have to beat the Ice. Kootenay will have Brayden McNabb in the lineup and that doesn't sit well with the Attack.
It was McNabb's hit that knocked out Joey Hishon the first time these two teams met.
"Tonight he's going to run the power play, and our best power play guy will watch from his hotel room," said DeGray. "I'm not so sure that's fair."
The odds are against the Attack tonight but you just never know with this team - a team that has been counted out time and time again this season.
"We have a lot of fight in that dressing room," said DeGray.
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Memorial Cup - May 25, 2011
Joey Hishon will not play tonight when the Owen Sound Attack face Mississauga with the winner going to the semi final at the Mastercard Memorial cup.
The Attack's leading scorer during the regular season is still suffering from concussion like symptoms according to GM Dale DeGray.
"Joey is still a little foggy. He passed his baseline test," DeGray said this morning. "Right now we have to go day to day with him. It's a game - yeah these are important games and he would love to be in them, but until he's ready to go we have to worry about Joey. He has a great career in front of him, he's still day to day, still has some symptoms and needs to be symptom free before."
Hishon took an elbow to his head from Brayden McNabb of Kootenay when the two teams met on Saturday. DeGray vented when asked about the situation with Patrick King of Sportsnet.ca
"Joey Hishon is not enjoying this experience," DeGray said. "Is McNabb? You tell me. Damn right he is. Is that the way it should be? I don't know."
McNabb was given a one game suspension and missed the Ice loss to Mississauga.
"I would have rathered (McNabb) play the other day against Mississauga and help beat Mississauga and not play maybe tomorrow night if we play them," he said. "Maybe that's more of a fair penalty."
"He's feeling better," head coach Mark Reeds said. "It's about the athlete and as a 19-year-old, 20-year-old kid; we're not going to put him in a situation that's going to threaten his livelihood."
Reeds said not having Hishon "messes up your power play and penalty kill" but the Attack missed Hishon for 18 regular season games and managed to play well without him.
"He's been out before and other guys picked up the slack," said goalie Jordan Binnington.
The Attack will need that again tonight.
The loser will have to play in a tiebreaker Thursday against Kootenay.
The Attack's leading scorer during the regular season is still suffering from concussion like symptoms according to GM Dale DeGray.
"Joey is still a little foggy. He passed his baseline test," DeGray said this morning. "Right now we have to go day to day with him. It's a game - yeah these are important games and he would love to be in them, but until he's ready to go we have to worry about Joey. He has a great career in front of him, he's still day to day, still has some symptoms and needs to be symptom free before."
Hishon took an elbow to his head from Brayden McNabb of Kootenay when the two teams met on Saturday. DeGray vented when asked about the situation with Patrick King of Sportsnet.ca
"Joey Hishon is not enjoying this experience," DeGray said. "Is McNabb? You tell me. Damn right he is. Is that the way it should be? I don't know."
McNabb was given a one game suspension and missed the Ice loss to Mississauga.
"I would have rathered (McNabb) play the other day against Mississauga and help beat Mississauga and not play maybe tomorrow night if we play them," he said. "Maybe that's more of a fair penalty."
"He's feeling better," head coach Mark Reeds said. "It's about the athlete and as a 19-year-old, 20-year-old kid; we're not going to put him in a situation that's going to threaten his livelihood."
Reeds said not having Hishon "messes up your power play and penalty kill" but the Attack missed Hishon for 18 regular season games and managed to play well without him.
"He's been out before and other guys picked up the slack," said goalie Jordan Binnington.
The Attack will need that again tonight.
The loser will have to play in a tiebreaker Thursday against Kootenay.
Monday, 23 May 2011
Memorial Cup -Monday May 23, 2011
The Owen Sound Attack will have to beat the top ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League without Joey Hishon.
The Attack will face Saint John tonight in the 4th game of the Memorial Cup round robin tonight with the club's leading point getterduring the regular season and a player who had 24 points during the OHL playoffs.
"He' not playing tonight. He did a basline test today and we'll have to wait on the results from it," said coach Mark Reeds.
Could he miss the rest of the tourmanment?
"I don't know that yet. I'm not going to speculate. That's all I have to say."
"Obviously it's disapointing for him," added the Attack head coach. "Again it's about the athletes that are involved in the game. Obviously he's worked very hard to get to this point, to get to this stage playing for a Canadian championship. I feel for him more than i do for myself. It's about him and he's unable to play tonight."
"He's been out a number of times this year so we just have to flip some lines around. We haven't been afriad to do that all year. We'll make adjustments as we need them."
Saint John comes in having beaten Mississauga in the opening game of the tournament, yet the Sea Dogs insist they can play better.
"We did not bring our "A" game," said defenceman Nathan Beaulieu.
The Sea Dogs say they have a lot more to offer. If that's the case then tonight's game - even without Joey Hishon - should be an entertaining affair.
-
Entertaining is the not the word to desribe Mississauga's win over Kootenay on Sunday. Two teams playing a trapping style of hockey where hard work and defence wins out over high risk offensive plays, made the Majors 2-1 win tough to watch.
It was a big win for Mississauga, which had lost 3 straight games coming in.
``We were feeling the pressure," said Majors coach Dave Cameron. "I felt kind of like it snapped our energy. We were struggling. We were tight."
Funny, because 3 hours before the game Cameron was seen joking around with some members of the media. He was loose but his team was not.
Does a win take off some of the pressure? We'll find out Wednesday when the Majors face the Attack looking for some revenge after losing the OHL final in OT in game 7 on home ice.
"There's a little hate-on from our side because of what they have done to us in the past," said Majors captain Casey Cizikas.
The Attack will face Saint John tonight in the 4th game of the Memorial Cup round robin tonight with the club's leading point getterduring the regular season and a player who had 24 points during the OHL playoffs.
"He' not playing tonight. He did a basline test today and we'll have to wait on the results from it," said coach Mark Reeds.
Could he miss the rest of the tourmanment?
"I don't know that yet. I'm not going to speculate. That's all I have to say."
"Obviously it's disapointing for him," added the Attack head coach. "Again it's about the athletes that are involved in the game. Obviously he's worked very hard to get to this point, to get to this stage playing for a Canadian championship. I feel for him more than i do for myself. It's about him and he's unable to play tonight."
"He's been out a number of times this year so we just have to flip some lines around. We haven't been afriad to do that all year. We'll make adjustments as we need them."
Saint John comes in having beaten Mississauga in the opening game of the tournament, yet the Sea Dogs insist they can play better.
"We did not bring our "A" game," said defenceman Nathan Beaulieu.
The Sea Dogs say they have a lot more to offer. If that's the case then tonight's game - even without Joey Hishon - should be an entertaining affair.
-
Entertaining is the not the word to desribe Mississauga's win over Kootenay on Sunday. Two teams playing a trapping style of hockey where hard work and defence wins out over high risk offensive plays, made the Majors 2-1 win tough to watch.
It was a big win for Mississauga, which had lost 3 straight games coming in.
``We were feeling the pressure," said Majors coach Dave Cameron. "I felt kind of like it snapped our energy. We were struggling. We were tight."
Funny, because 3 hours before the game Cameron was seen joking around with some members of the media. He was loose but his team was not.
Does a win take off some of the pressure? We'll find out Wednesday when the Majors face the Attack looking for some revenge after losing the OHL final in OT in game 7 on home ice.
"There's a little hate-on from our side because of what they have done to us in the past," said Majors captain Casey Cizikas.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Memorial Cup starts Friday
Dave Cameron admits he's feeling better, but he's not quite there yet.
"I'm still not allowed to play with anything sharp," cracked the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors head coach on Thursday, as the four head coaches in the Memorial Cup met the media on the eve of the tournament.
Cameron's Majors lost to Owen Sound in game 7, in overtime, to fall in the Ontario Hockey League final. The Majors four losses were by a goal, three of the losses in overtime.
"Anytime you lose a game 7 it takes a while to get over it," said Cameron. "We are over it and very fortunate to have a chance to eliminate some of that hurt."
The Majors open up the tournament against the Saint John Sea Dogs, arguably the best team in the Canadian Hockey
League this season, when the event starts Friday. Owen Sound and Kootenay round out the tournament.
"These 3 guys all won the championships on the road in overtime and I lost it at home in overtime," smiled Cameron. "I'm the odd duck in this thing."
The Majors have a difficult task to start the event. Even though Mississauga went 53-13-2 during the season, and led the Ontario Hockey League in goals and gave up the fewest they are not the favourites in this event.
The Sea Dogs have four of the top 20 rated prospects for the NHL draft including centre Jonathan Huberdeau (# 3 on Central Scouting) and is a team that went 58-7-3 during the regular season.
"I think our team is going to be fine," said Sea Dogs coach Gerard Gallant. "They have battled hard and they deserve to be here and I think they'll be ready."
Owen Sound (46-17-5 this season) will face WHL champion Kootenay (46-21-5) on Saturday.
"We are very excited to be here," said Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch. "We feel we belong in the competiton. We kind of jelled as a team as the season progressed. We were able to play our best hockey right now in the playoffs."
That's an understatement. The Ice have won 15 of the last 16 playoff games they have played and beat powerhouses Saskatoon, Medicine Hat and Portland in the playoffs and could make the claim they are the favourites here.
"It will come down to who is playing the best hockey at the appropriate time," said Knoblauch. When asked what team is the favourite he replied, "I would like to say it's certainly not us."
Mark Reeds has played in 3 Memorial Cups and as coach of the Attack based in Owen Sound (population 22,000) he knows what a title would mean for a "very starved" community.
"It's an unbelievable feeling and tremendous opportunity for these young individuals and a tremendous opportunity to bring a championsihp to a very starved commuity of Grey-Bruce."
"It's huge mainly for your players," said Cameron. "Your teams don't get here unless your teams have a focus and committment. I know how dedicated they are and how hard they've worked."
Let the games begin.
"I'm still not allowed to play with anything sharp," cracked the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors head coach on Thursday, as the four head coaches in the Memorial Cup met the media on the eve of the tournament.
Cameron's Majors lost to Owen Sound in game 7, in overtime, to fall in the Ontario Hockey League final. The Majors four losses were by a goal, three of the losses in overtime.
"Anytime you lose a game 7 it takes a while to get over it," said Cameron. "We are over it and very fortunate to have a chance to eliminate some of that hurt."
The Majors open up the tournament against the Saint John Sea Dogs, arguably the best team in the Canadian Hockey
League this season, when the event starts Friday. Owen Sound and Kootenay round out the tournament.
"These 3 guys all won the championships on the road in overtime and I lost it at home in overtime," smiled Cameron. "I'm the odd duck in this thing."
The Majors have a difficult task to start the event. Even though Mississauga went 53-13-2 during the season, and led the Ontario Hockey League in goals and gave up the fewest they are not the favourites in this event.
The Sea Dogs have four of the top 20 rated prospects for the NHL draft including centre Jonathan Huberdeau (# 3 on Central Scouting) and is a team that went 58-7-3 during the regular season.
"I think our team is going to be fine," said Sea Dogs coach Gerard Gallant. "They have battled hard and they deserve to be here and I think they'll be ready."
Owen Sound (46-17-5 this season) will face WHL champion Kootenay (46-21-5) on Saturday.
"We are very excited to be here," said Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch. "We feel we belong in the competiton. We kind of jelled as a team as the season progressed. We were able to play our best hockey right now in the playoffs."
That's an understatement. The Ice have won 15 of the last 16 playoff games they have played and beat powerhouses Saskatoon, Medicine Hat and Portland in the playoffs and could make the claim they are the favourites here.
"It will come down to who is playing the best hockey at the appropriate time," said Knoblauch. When asked what team is the favourite he replied, "I would like to say it's certainly not us."
Mark Reeds has played in 3 Memorial Cups and as coach of the Attack based in Owen Sound (population 22,000) he knows what a title would mean for a "very starved" community.
"It's an unbelievable feeling and tremendous opportunity for these young individuals and a tremendous opportunity to bring a championsihp to a very starved commuity of Grey-Bruce."
"It's huge mainly for your players," said Cameron. "Your teams don't get here unless your teams have a focus and committment. I know how dedicated they are and how hard they've worked."
Let the games begin.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
John Farrell - still learning on the job
The Toronto Blue Jays will be happy when this road trip is over.
The Jays have played well - but injuries and a failure to come up with enough timely hits - has hurt the team that is wrapping up a tough start to the season hoping better days are ahead.
Manager John Farrell has seen key players hurt (right now it's Jose Bautista, who just happens to lead the AL in pretty much every offensive category) and continues to learn on the job. He admits he has learned plenty and is enjoying watching his team, one he says "loves to play together."
“Moving away from a pitching coach to this position, you get such a broader perspective and a greater appreciation for the game. It might give me an ulcer in the future, but I love what the game is about. I’ve learned more in the 2 ½ months including spring training than I would ever have learned as a pitching coach. The offensive and defensive sides factor in, not just who’s on the mound. I sleep well, but at the same time I may not get to sleep at a normal hour, but I still sleep. It’s been good, ” Farrell told reporters in New York.
Toronto has played 18 road games already, meaning the schedule - along with healthy bodies - should lead to better days and more wins ahead.
The bullpen had not given up a hit in 10 2/3rd innings, before Jon Rauch allowed a BJ Upton walk off homer as the Rays took the first game in the series over Toronto.
"I screwed up," said the brutally honest Rauch. "I made 2 really, really bad pitches. I made 2 big mistakes up in the zone. This loss is on me. I blew it."
The bullpen has been the strength of a pitching staff that hasn't been good enough to start the year (Brett Cecil is still in the minors trying to find his form that saw him win 15 games last season.)
Farrell feels his team is playing an aggressive game (having set a franchise record for most stolen bases in the month of April), one that will carry on the rest of the season if the manager has his way.
"I think when we look back we've been able to carry out what we hoped," Farrell said. "We want to establish an identity for this club and I think we've done that."
"I think for the most part we've been in every game. We've been relentless in our competitive nature each and every night. That doesn't mean we don't have areas we need to improve on. I think it has shown resiliency. The fact of the matter guys like one another and they like to play together.
"We are not going to have a perfect team. Yet we will be as best prepared to respond to the situation on the field."
One month down for Farrell - a month that saw him face many injuries. Better days are ahead for the manager and his team, aren't they?
The Jays have played well - but injuries and a failure to come up with enough timely hits - has hurt the team that is wrapping up a tough start to the season hoping better days are ahead.
Manager John Farrell has seen key players hurt (right now it's Jose Bautista, who just happens to lead the AL in pretty much every offensive category) and continues to learn on the job. He admits he has learned plenty and is enjoying watching his team, one he says "loves to play together."
“Moving away from a pitching coach to this position, you get such a broader perspective and a greater appreciation for the game. It might give me an ulcer in the future, but I love what the game is about. I’ve learned more in the 2 ½ months including spring training than I would ever have learned as a pitching coach. The offensive and defensive sides factor in, not just who’s on the mound. I sleep well, but at the same time I may not get to sleep at a normal hour, but I still sleep. It’s been good, ” Farrell told reporters in New York.
Toronto has played 18 road games already, meaning the schedule - along with healthy bodies - should lead to better days and more wins ahead.
The bullpen had not given up a hit in 10 2/3rd innings, before Jon Rauch allowed a BJ Upton walk off homer as the Rays took the first game in the series over Toronto.
"I screwed up," said the brutally honest Rauch. "I made 2 really, really bad pitches. I made 2 big mistakes up in the zone. This loss is on me. I blew it."
The bullpen has been the strength of a pitching staff that hasn't been good enough to start the year (Brett Cecil is still in the minors trying to find his form that saw him win 15 games last season.)
Farrell feels his team is playing an aggressive game (having set a franchise record for most stolen bases in the month of April), one that will carry on the rest of the season if the manager has his way.
"I think when we look back we've been able to carry out what we hoped," Farrell said. "We want to establish an identity for this club and I think we've done that."
"I think for the most part we've been in every game. We've been relentless in our competitive nature each and every night. That doesn't mean we don't have areas we need to improve on. I think it has shown resiliency. The fact of the matter guys like one another and they like to play together.
"We are not going to have a perfect team. Yet we will be as best prepared to respond to the situation on the field."
One month down for Farrell - a month that saw him face many injuries. Better days are ahead for the manager and his team, aren't they?
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