From our Dutch bureau: Timmins native Derek Seguin was added to the Netherlands’ top-division Unis Flyers last week. After his regular D2 team was eliminated in the playoffs, Seguin was added to his new club's roster after one of their import players was injured. With that player out for the season (you can only be added to the roster as an import if it is an import player who is injured) the club looked to Seguin's Eredivisie league club to call him up.
Seguin finished his regular season with 27 goals and 13 assists in 20 games.
He joins the Flyers in their BeNe quarter-final match-up against Luik Bulldogs. BeNe is the top Belgian/Netherlands level of hockey. The Flyers won the Dutch championship earlier and are now attempting to capture the BeNe league crown.
The Flyers opened their best two out of three quarterfinal with a win on the road where Seguin was named the Flyers “man of the match”, which translates to our game MVP. Upon returning home the Flyers dropped a 4-1 decision to the Bulldogs with Seguin netting the team’s only goal and again receiving the man of the match nod. Game three is today and by the time you read this, the game will be well underway.
Besides a regular shift, Derek has also seen time in the starting five and time with the second powerplay unit.
Derek is playing the wing as opposed to his natural position as a centre but he continues to work at adjusting.
Wearing number 26, Derek is quickly endearing himself to the hometown fans. I got a chuckle when I read one comment online that the team should not waste any time and get Seguin signed for next season now. Might very well be a good idea.
Aside from extending Derek's season, he gets a chance to prove his mettle in the top tier of Dutch/Belgian hockey. A door has been opened.
The TH&VS senior boys basketball team had a successful run at this year's OFSAA championships. They opened the tournament with a 60 to 43 win over host Saint Jean de Brebeuf. The next day they would continue their winning ways with a solid 51-30 win over Northern Lakes that propelled them into the quarterfinals. The club dropped a 50-32 score to Monsignor J. Pereyma to bring their medal chances to an end.
A trip to the quarterfinals of any OFSAA is no small feat. It’s certainly a stellar effort to cap off a successful season.
Mark Katic had his season come to an end when his EC iDM Heat Pumps VSV club lost in the Austrian league's quarterfinals. It’s not the result hoped for, but a lot of pro teams worldwide did not even get the chance to make it that far. Playoff appearances are a hard-earned result of regular season effort.
The Timmins Majors U18s finished off their season with a stellar second-place finish.
The team now takes their playoff-ready game to Sudbury next Wednesday for their tournament-style playdowns. The Majors, Sudbury U/18, Soo and New Liskeard will face off against the winner of a North Bay, Kapuskasing, Sudbury U/16 playoff.
The Majors U15 team will start their playoff tournament March 29 in Sudbury against the Soo, North Bay and Sudbury.
In the meantime, the Rock and Storm dates have been announced for their opening round NOJHL series which will surely be hotly contested. The Rock will use a strong regular season and the experience of last year's league championship trying to repeat as champions. The Storm will do their best to try and prevent that repeat.
A few days ago I was listening to someone telling a friend how crappy a coach their boy had with his hockey team. I slowly began to inch my way toward a safe haven before I might have been dragged into that conversation. After reaching safety I was reminded of a conversation I had when I first started coaching.
We were on a road trip and between games, I began talking to a gentleman with a very long, exceptional and knowledgeable career in hockey. Having played and coached at the game's very highest levels, he was the kind of person that I thoroughly enjoyed listening to. As we are talking hockey, I asked how he got his start in coaching. Well it seems as though he was grumbling under his breath at one of his son's games when his wife asked what he was grumbling about. I guess he was none too pleased about that coach and his tactics. So his wife looked him in the eye and said, “If you don't like what's going on you have two options: Start coaching a team or shut up and be quiet.” Shortly after he started a successful coaching career.
Taking his wife's advice and becoming a doer instead of a talker was not only a wise choice for him and the many players he would go on to coach.
We need more wives like that.
Later skater.
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