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38 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday August 22, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Blades keep their home at Joshua Creeks Arenas By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR The Oakville Blades have retained their home, though that home now has a different name. The local junior A hockey club, which played the past two years out of the Dominion Twin Rinks facility in northeast Oakville, will hold its home games and practices at the newly-renamed Joshua Creeks Arenas again this season. The formerly privately-owned Dominion Twin Rinks was placed into receivership last spring and purchased by the Town of Oakville, sparking speculation that the Blades might be looking for a new place to play this season. The club was forced to deal with a similar situation several years ago as it played many of its home games in Etobicoke and Streetsville while waiting for Twin Rinks to be built. According to Town director of recreation and culture Nina deVaal, the Town and the Blades are finalizing an agreement that would see the club receive a similar amount of ice time to last year. Oakville's main home night will likely remain as Friday. The agreement would only be for the upcoming season, deVaal added, since the Town allocates ice time on an annual basis. In the meantime, the Blades have started tryouts in preparation for the 2007-08 season, which will begin next month. Approximately 40 players attended the club's first tryout session Monday at Joshua Creeks Arenas, and new Oakville head coach Carlo Coccimiglio says there are plenty of spots up for grabs on this year's team. "We have a few mainstays that, if they show well at camp this week, will be here with us," Coccimiglio said, referring to the club's only returnees -- goalies Matt Hoyle and Kori Coelho as well as Trevor Eckenswiller, Chris Haltigin, Lindsay Sparks and Nick McParland. DEREK WOOLLAM / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER GIVING IT A SHOT: An Oakville Blades hopeful fires a shot at goaltender Matt Hoyle during the junior A hockey club's first preseason tryout session Monday at Joshua Creeks Arenas. "We're trying to take more local boys this year. That's a difference in philosophy." Coccimiglio, who takes over this season from the departed Don Edwards, said he places a premium on defensive play and hockey I.Q. when assessing talent. The club held tryouts the past two days and will play an exhibition game tonight, after which the coaching staff will pare down the roster. The Blades will compete in a tournament in Vermont on Labour Day Weekend before returning home for their season opener, Sept. 14 against the defending West Conference champion Hamilton Red Wings. Super Series should be intense Mason may not remember the 1972 series, "I don't know if anyone's going to get the for obvious reasons, but his father certainly call from (head coach Brent) Sutter to does. break an ankle or anything, but it should be "The big thing was all the schools shut fun," noted Legein, a Columbus Blue down, basically, and everyone was in the Jackets prospect and a master agitator on lunch room to watch the games or you the ice. "It's going to heat up as the games buzzed off to friends' houses to watch the go on. games," said Bill Mason, who attended yes"Any time you can play a team eight games terday's practice. in a row, there will be some bad "It was more physical than I blood. Things are going to hap- "I don't know if anyremember. When I look back on pen during the series that will one's going to get it, Team Canada played a pretty get some guys (upset)." rough game. I think this series the call... to break an Mason, a goaltender who was will be more about the little ankle or anything, drafted last summer by the Blue guys and the skills they've got." but it should be fun. Jackets, agreed. Canada likes its chances, "That Summit Series was def- It's going to heat up though the players have plenty initely unique, but we're all as the games go on. of respect for their opponent. In intense guys and want to make a Any time you play a spite of the progress countries name for ourselves in 2007," he like Sweden, Finland, the Czech team eight games in said. "In Canada, we play pretty Republic and the United States a row, there will be tough hockey." have made in recent internaWhile Gagner -- picked sixth some bad blood." tional play, Russia remains overall in the most recent NHL Canada's primary rival. Entry Draft by the Edmonton Stefan Legein "They'll be very skilled. We Oilers -- has international know they're sending their best experience, having won gold with the team," Tavares said. Canadian team at last winter's world junior "We want to win, and the focus is there. championships, this is the first time Tavares, We want to be the best in whatever tournaLegein and Mason will don the maple leaf on ment we're in, especially against the their jerseys. Russians." The teams will play next Monday and Tavares cut from '06 junior team Wednesday in Ufa, then Friday and Saturday Tavares was disconsolate after being a late in Omsk before flying back to Canada for the cut from the 2006 world junior team and remaining four games. Those games will be contested in Mason suffered a concussion shortly before Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Red Deer and the final tryout camp, making this opportuVancouver. nity even sweeter. Continued from page 37 RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER INTERNATIONAL ROOKIE: John Tavares, a student at St. Thomas Aquinas, is preparing for his first taste of international competition with Team Canada in the upcoming Super Series.