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Blanchard bringing change and success to Midget AAA Trappers program

“I kind of like programs like this and that’s why I decided to help out.”
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Guy Blanchard on the bench during a recent Midget AAA Trappers game at Memorial Gardens. Photo by Chris Dawson.

Guy Blanchard is a no-nonsense type coach who works hard at getting the best out of his players.  

The three-time NOJHL champion skipper with the North Bay Skyhawks in the 2000’s took over the reins of the Midget AAA Trappers program.   

So far, so good.  His team has 11 wins and one overtime loss to show after the first dozen games this season as they sit in top spot in the seven-team Great North Midget League.  

This past weekend they defeated the Kapuskasing Flyers 4-0 Saturday with Drew Joyal getting the shutout.  Then Sunday the Trappers doubled the Timmins Majors 6-3.     

Blanchard likes the team he has with the 2001 birth year players, a group he has previously coached back in Minor Bantam two seasons ago.    

He says this year’s version of the Midget AAA Trappers has a balanced attack with two of his top four scorers defenceman in the form of Jake Gravelle and Eric Mondoux. 

“When it comes to scoring goals and points and everything else we are pleased with the attack we can get from our defence and also throwing out three solid lines that can score so,” said Blanchard.  

Blanchard has also had a boost from three players who played minor midget in southern Ontario last season, returning to North Bay.  That includes leading scorer Mason McMahon and defencemen Gravelle and Dylan Bond.  

Blanchard has familiarity with Gravelle and McMahon, who he has coached in the past.  

“I wanted to make sure they were coming back to play here for the right reasons, not because they have nowhere else to play and that was my main concern,” said Blanchard.  

Blanchard, who learned under Centennials taskmaster Bert Templeton in the 1990’s, has stressed that commitment is key to success with his program.   

“You can’t come here on a part-time basis, that’s some of the old habits and if you can get that out of their system that’s it’s not part-time and it’s a commitment,” he said.  

“I kind of like programs like this and that’s why I decided to help out.”

Aside from a change in coaching the program itself has changed too as the team is now practicing in the morning at Memorial Gardens in cooperation with the local high schools, plus the team itself is playing more games on the bigger Gardens ice too.   

“Playing out of the gardens, the players like it, it helps them in their development so it was nice for the schools, the Battalion and the city to try and help us out as much as we can in that department and our program that we have seems to be going in the right track so hopefully it’s successful when it comes to the end.”    

Blanchard and the Trappers hope the success continues as they hope to continue to pile up the wins with a goal of making a run at the Telus Cup; a trophy then called the “Air Canada Cup” he has won as a coach back in 1984 with Butch Turcotte and the North Bay Pinehill Coffee Shop Midgets.  


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Chris Dawson

About the Author: Chris Dawson

Chris Dawson has been with BayToday.ca since 2004. He has provided up-to-the-minute sports coverage and has become a key member of the BayToday news team.
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