Junior Hurricanes:Cudmore Excited About Possibilities For Upcoming Season

Friday, October 7, 2011

By Geordie Carragher

Charlottetown, PE - The Holland Hurricanes men's hockey team is set to kick off another season in the PEI Junior C Hockey League, and their general manager is eager to get started.

Daniel Cudmore, who coached the Hurricanes to a record of 5-23-0-0 in their inaugural season, stepped back to focus on managerial duties over the offseason in an effort to improve the team's prospects for the 2011-12 season.

Cudmore addressed some of the key issues ahead of Thursday night's second intrasquad game between Team Maroon and Team White.

Cudmore, along with the rest of his staff from last season, realized that things needed to change if the team was going to contend this season.

"Midway through the season, it was myself who was doing double duty with managing the team plus coaching. We started to realize part way through the year that you're spreading yourself too thin."

"Sometimes, it's not fair to the team to show up and only be able to provide half your level of commitment, half on managing and half on coaching, so it was just too hard to focus on both 100 percent."

Cudmore said the hiring of former Charlottetown Abbie and UPEI Panther Ryan Maxwell as the team's new head coach was an important step in the right direction for everybody involved in the program.

"It was almost meant to be, Ryan just took a job at Holland College as a transitions mentor, and obviously with his playing background, we realized that he's going to demand respect because he's done it all."

Respect in the dressing room is a major theme for Cudmore, who said there was a bit to be desired.

"We felt that lacked last year, we needed a more intimidating presence in the dressing room."

Cudmore said Maxwell will force players to be more accountable to themselves and the team.

"I think last year, our mistake was that we let things get away from us early in the year and it's tough to get it back after that."

Cudmore said they approached Maxwell last season about an early transition, but he remained committed to the women's hockey program.

He said that adding Drew Power to the coaching staff along with Maxwell will be another key component of the team's success.

"Drew just graduated from the police academy, so there's another tie through Holland College. He's can have an intimidating presence, you work hard or he's going to start asking questions."

"That's the type of guy we need here to be on top of the players."

When asked about what kind of team he and Maxwell envisioned building for the upcoming season, Cudmore said they shared a similar vision.

"We want to be a team that's hard to play against. The guys that don't want to come to the rink and work won't play and they'll be in the stands, and the guys who want to work, which we hope all of them do, they'll be the ones dressed."

Cudmore said he's optimistic that the team will be able to jump out to a fast start this season.

"They've been impressive so far, and I can't wait to see how it all fares out next week."

The Hurricanes play their first two exhibition games next week, with both games being against Pownal. The first game is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 14 at 8:30 p.m. in Pownal, and then they will play again the following night at 7:05 p.m. at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.

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