The Concordia Stingers will be one of youngest teams in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) men’s hockey this season, but that doesn’t mean the program is in a rebuilding phase.
Head coach Kevin Figsby says there’s a lot of talent on the squad and a chemistry that he hasn’t seen in awhile. As usual the goals for the season are lofty.
“The expectation is that we will go as far as we can through the playoffs and get to the Queen’s Cup (conference championship) and that is always the expectation,” Figsby said.
There are 10 first-year players, including prize recruit Nicholas Champion, a first-rate goaltender from the Lewiston Maineiacs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. There are also seven second-year players with the team.
To keep the young Stingers on track, Figsby has to replace the leadership and experience of three key players; goaltender Maxime Joyal, defenceman Jesse Goodsell, who is playing professional hockey in France, and captain Marc-André Element who is now an assistant coach with Concordia.
Part of the leadership responsibilities will go to the only fifth-year player in the lineup – defenceman Eric Bégin. He trained hard all summer and has moved his game forward. He has been named the 2011-12 team captain.
Figsby will also look for leadership from assistant captains Mike Blundon, a fourth-year defenceman, and high-scoring centre Charles-Antoine Messier, now in his third year.
In 28 regular season games last year, the Stingers scored 107 goals which was the fifth most in the Ontario conference. Messier and Alexandre Monahan will pick up where they left off last season. Both scored 12 goals and added 22 assists for 34 points in 25 games.
However, the team allowed the second most goals in the conference with 127. This year, Bégin will set the tone for the defence, and strong contributions are expected from fourth-year player Kiefer Orsini and first-year blueliners Sean Blunden and Etienne St. Germain, the latter a puck-moving defenceman who has QMJHL experience.
“This year we’re bigger, faster and stronger,” Figsby said. “We have solid goaltending with the guys we brought in. We have some great chemistry. Last year we went through some growing pains but they are already providing dividends.”
