Couch to coach Powassan Blazers

Junior ‘A’ hockey may be returning this fall to the town of Powassan.

Doug Sanders is the man behind the mission to bring an expansion Greater Metro Junior ‘A’ team to the community. The Sault Ste. Marie area native and current coach of the Powassan Midget ‘A’ Hawks has been gathering momentum in the community – hosting a GMHL playoff game in Powassan recently and finding sponsorship and a solid season ticket base for the fall of 2008.

The former home of the North Bay Skyhawks franchise back in the early 1990’s saw its team moved to Sturgeon Falls in 1994 after the Powassan Hawks won back to back Dudley Hewitt Cup championships in 1992 and 1993.

“I think folks down here just want good hockey back in town,” said Sanders.

“They enjoy hockey as they show support to the Skyhawks and also they’ll support this venture in their town as well as shown by two teams that the GMHL playoff game showed between two teams no one had heard of before.”

Couch trip

Sanders recruited former North Bay Trappers coach John Couch to work behind the bench this fall.

Couch has a lot of coaching experience as his resume includes coaching stints with Perth Junior ‘B” Blue Wings, the London Midget ‘AAA’ Jr. Knights and the University of Western Ontario’s Women’s Varsity team.

Couch is currently working in the mentorship program in West Ferris minor hockey and he wants to continue to develop players in the Powassan Blazers program.

“He (Sanders) wants to produce 6 hours of practice time a week and he’s promised that we could use that time as skill development and develop kids in their future in hockey,” said Couch.

Couch admits he was skeptical about the non-sanctioned Junior ‘A’ league that is not affiliated with Hockey Canada but that perception has changed.

“Now that we’ve seen the league and how it’s grown and continues to develop and players are being sent on and looked at by NCAA teams – let’s face it there’s OHL teams that are interested in these kids as well and that’s lent legitimacy to this league,”

Sanders is still on the lookout for more sponsorship funds to help pay the GMHL expansion fee which he says will be due by the middle of April after the playoffs are complete.

If the league approves the expansion franchise, that would put three GMHL franchises within a 70 kilometer perimeter of the city – Nipissing Alouettes to the west, Temiscaming Royals to the east and Powassan Blazers to the south.

“The rivalries we are going to create are going to be great because we are all within an hour of each other including the South Muskoka Shield who’s within an hour and a half of us,” said Sanders.

If approved, the franchise expects the team to have mix of American and European players mixed in with Northern Ontario players. They hope to hold a number of spring camps next month across the north.

Photo of Blazers head coach John Couch