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32 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR:JONKUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2012 Former Leafs captain Vaive Bring it on! to coach minor midget AAAs By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR earlier this month. "The one thing we wanted when we took over the '97 program was Oakville kids to not feel they had to leave In the biggest season of their minor Oakville to be successful. Now we think we're hockey careers, the Oakville minor midget in a position where we've got an extremely AAA Rangers will have a big name behind talented team and these kids are going to have an amazing year. It will be nice to see their bench. Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain and them wearing Oakville jerseys as opposed to two-time National Hockey League 50-goal Toronto Marlies or Jr. Canadiens or all those other teams." scorer Rick Vaive will coach the Bruce Robertson, who has team of 1997-born players next worked with Strong for nine years, season, taking over from longtime will assist Vaive with the Rangers coach Duncan Harvey. next season. Harvey will also The 53-year-old Vaive, a longremain involved with the team. time Oakville resident, has a coachVaive said winning is always a ing resume that is nearly as impresfocal point, identifying the OHL sive as his accomplishments as a Cup minor midget provincial player. Vaive coached East Carolina championship tournament as a to an East Coast Hockey League goal for the Rangers, but realizes championship in 1997 during a player development and exposure five-year stint with the Stingrays, Rick Vaive is also crucial next season. The and also served as bench boss of the American Hockey League's Saint John minor midget year is the final year before Flames and Ontario Hockey League's players are eligible to be drafted into the Mississauga IceDogs. Four years ago, he CHL, and college recruiters will also be paycoached the Toronto Young Nationals minor ing close attention. Growing up in Prince Edward Island, midget team that included Jeff Skinner and Tyler Seguin, both of whom are now stars in Vaive didn't face the same kind of pressure in his minor midget year. It wasn't until he was the NHL. in junior A that Vaive drew Vaive says he's excited interest from CHL scouts, about the opportunity to "He's a wealth of eventually being drafted by coach a Rangers squad that knowledge, and he's both the Quebec Major hopes to set an Oakville Junior Hockey League's single-season record for excited to get back at it... Sherbrooke Castors and the most draftees to the Now we think we're in a OHL's Toronto Marlboros. position where we've got Canadian Hockey League. But Vaive said there is "They've been working an extremely talented team still plenty of advice he can for a couple years to keep and these kids are going to pass along to 15-year-old their existing players and players who are looking to bring in a couple players to have an amazing year." showcase themselves next put this team over the top," season. said Vaive. "There are a lot Former minor midget AAA "I don't think you can of expectations for this Rangers coach Duncan Harvey shield or protect them. You team." Vaive actually wasn't the first choice to teach them what they're going to encounter coach the minor midget AAA Rangers this and how to handle it," said Vaive. "Not (tellseason. Ken Strong, also a former Maple ing) them what you say and what (scouts) Leafs forward who coached the Toronto want to hear, but how to handle yourself and Marlies the past few years, was initially sup- simple little things. Like when you meet a posed to coach the Rangers next season (general manager), give a good, firm handbefore accepting a pro hockey coaching job in shake, look him in the eye and talk to him. The little things they look for, more so than Europe. Vaive, who has helped out with the team what you do on the ice, are the intangibles off the ice, the confidence you have. in the past, certainly was not a bad Plan B. "I think they can all get better and excel in "He's a wealth of knowledge, and he's excited to get back at it," said Harvey, who's several different areas," he added. "I'm going coached the team since the novice age but is in trying to improve everybody's deficiencies stepping aside after becoming the general by 10-15 per cent. If you can do that, you manager of the Oakville Blades junior A team make them better all-around players." PHOTO SUBMITTED MIGHTY MITE: Faith Peros of the Oakville mite select Angels digs into the batters box during a tournament earlier this month at Trafalgar Park. Oakville beat the Dundas Devils 11-5, Mississauga Tigers 13-9 and Milton Bats 12-9 to reach the final before falling 8-4 to the Whitby Lightning and settling for silver. Matheson going to Olympics Diana Matheson is headed to her second Olympic Games. The 28-year-old was one of 18 players named to Canada's Olympic women's soccer team Monday. Matheson is one of Canada's most experienced players, ranking behind only Christine Sinclair among current team members in international appearances -- and third all-time -- with 131. She also owns the Canadian record for most consecutive appearances (45), a streak that ended in 2006. Matheson missed the Olympic qualifying tournament in Vancouver earlier this year while recovering from surgery to repair torn cartilage in her right knee. The White Oaks grad returned to the Canadian lineup in May. Matheson has been with the national team since 2003.