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www.durhamrcgion.com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, SEPTEMBER 17, 2003 PAGE A13 Çlarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 Eljc Canatnan Statesman September 17,2003 infodurhamregion.com Meet the Gens Chris Beckford-Tseu No. 30 Goalie 6.03, 203 lb i Ryan | Gibb : No. 31 i Goalie ! 5.11,195 lb John Neal No.. 3 Defence 5.10, 175 lb j: Chris Petrow |; No. 4 I' Defence |; 6.03, 199 lb li'*' ti Bret Nasby No. 6 Defence 6.03, 191 lb i Kyle ! Raftis i No. 7 ! Defence 6.02, 190 lb Fred Hatziioannou No. 8 Defence 6.00, 206 lb 1 Tyler Donati No. 10 Left Wing 5.10,175 lb Andrew Gibbons No. 11 Right Wing 6.02, 187 1b Justin Donati No. 12 Centre 5.10,165 lb Tim Filin No. 15 Right Wing 6.03, 193 lb Andy Reiss No. 14 Centre 6.00, 184 lb p 1-B RON PIETROIMIRO/ Statesman photo Oshawa Generals' winger Chris Unlit (17) tries to get past Kitchener Rangers' defenceman Devereaux Heshmatpour during a foggy OHL exhibition game Sunday at Civic Auditorium. The Generals finished the pre-season with a 3-2-1 record after losing 5-2. They open for real tomorrow night in Windsor. New-look Oshawa Generals open OHL season Thursday in Windsor One of the many appealing aspects of junior hockey is how quickly things can change. Not just from season-to-season, but inonth-to-month or even day-to-day. With players checking in for just two, three or four years at a time, it's difficult to stay at the top or bottom for very long and is a big part of the reason reason no team has repeated as Ontario Hockey League playoff champ since the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds did so in 1991 and 1992. Unfortunately for the Oshawa Generals, Generals, who open the 2003-04 season tomorrow tomorrow night in Windsor, they seem to have lost more than they've gained this season. But again, things can change quickly- quickly- On Sunday, alter the Generals closed out a 3-2-1 pre-season with a 5- 2 loss to an undermanned Kitchener squad, coach and general manager George Burnett still had a number of unresolved issues. He resolved two of them by Monday, Monday, getting 19-year-okl power forward forward Ben Eager back from the Phoenix Coyotes and acquiring big winger Aaron Lobb from the Guelph Storm to fill his third overage spot. By the time the Generals wrap up a difficult Ihree-games-in-three-nigius swing through the Western Conference this weekend, he could also have goalie Chris Beckford-Tseu and defenceman defenceman Paul Ranger back from their National Hockey League camps. And the most important question of all - will Nathan Horton stick with the Florida Panthers? - could still be months away from being answered. Regardless, Burnett has a job to do and he insists this year's edition of the Generals will be a hard-working, fast- skating club that will improve as the 10 newcomers become more familiar with the league, Brian McNair Staff Editor hmcnair@durhumregion.com "It's pretty important we don't panic or get real down on our young kids because they're all very talented," says Burnett, who enters his fourth season at the helm. "We know we have to be more physical and we have to battle more and win more faceoffs," he adds. "We're just four or five good practices into the season here, so I think there has to be some patience." If Sunday's exhibition finale is any indication, the biggest problem the Generals will face this season will be finishing off scoring chances. They weren't outclassed by the 13 skaters Kitchener dressed, but simply couldn't find an imaginative way to beat goalie Matt Leduc until the late-going, "You just look at the lineup and (recognize) we're going to struggle to score goals," says Burnell, who is currently currently without his lop five goal-scorers from a year ago. "1 think we have to remember there are 10 first-year kids out there. We're not going to make excuses for having .a young team." There are a number of veteran players players Burnett will need career years from offensively, ineluding captain Tobias Whelan ( 17-21 -38 in 68 games last season). Eager (16-24-40 in 58 games), Lobb (17-16-33 in 60 games with Guelph) and Evan Kotsopoulos (16-18-34 in 61 games). It's also lime for Chris Unlit (9-12- 21 in 67 games), Ryan Kitchen (3-12- 15 in 62 games with Sault Ste. Marie), Jordan Beirnes (2-1-3 in -10 games) and Tim Filin (3-3-6 in 41 games) to start contributing on a regular basis, But the key to the Generals' attack, assuming Horton doesn't return, could lie Oshawa native Adam Berli, a second-year second-year player who missed most of last season after knee surgeries, The sixth overall pick in tire 2002 OHL draft, Berti offers a nice combination of size, speed and scoring touch. Ranger, a native of Whitby, will be the main man on the blue-line once he returns from Tampa. He led the team with 10-28-38 numbers last season and should be one of the league's best this season. He will be joined on defence by veterans Fred Hatziioannou, John Neal, Kyle Raftis and Chris Petrow and rookies Justin Wallingford and Bret Nasby. The Generals should also have one of the top netminders in Beckford- Tseu, who will enter his second full season in the league once he returns from St. Louis. Although he has lacked consistency, he has proven to be a money goalie in the past two playoffs playoffs and will likely carry the team to any success it might meet with. "We're going to have a lot younger team on paper, but the skill level is there, the talent is there," says Kotsopoulos, Kotsopoulos, anxious to assume a bigger role with the team. "We'll be contending contending for a playoff spot. We'll be up there and we'll see what happens in the playoffs." GENERALLY SPEAKING: The Generals start the season with five straight road games, including tomorrow tomorrow night in Windsor, Friday in Sarnia and Saturday in Plymouth, All games begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast broadcast live on AM-1350 by new play-by- play man Rob Snoek... The home opener is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 3 at 7:35 p.m. against Windsor at the Civic Auditorium... Brandon Nolan, who led the Generals with 36 goals last season, has yet to sign with the Vancouver Canucks and remains a remote remote overage possibility for Oshawa... Aaron Lobb was acquired from Guelph along with a 1 Oth round pick in 2005 for a fifth-round pick in 2005... David Hammond was released released Monday... Generals injuries include include rookies Mike Kavanagb (herniated (herniated disk), Justin Donati (wrist) and Mike McLean (thumb) and Chris Petrow, who continues to battle a mysterious head injury. Meet the Gens Evan Kotsopoulos No. 16 Wing 5.10, 1741b Chris Hulit No. 17 Right Wing 6.01, 190 lb Jordan Beirnes No. 19 Left Wing 6.03, 200 lb Justin Wallingford No. 20 Defence 6.06, 226 lb Adam Berti No. 21 Left Wing 6.03, 192 lb Mike Kavanagh No. 22 Right Wing 6.03, 204 lb Ryan Kitchen No. 24 Centre/Wing 5.10, 180 lb Ben Eager No. 25 Left Wing 6.02, 215 lb Raul Ranger No. 26 Defence 6.03, 210 lb Gary Friesen No. 27 Centre 6.00, 180 lb Tobias Whelan No. 28 Centre 6.00, 185 lb Mike McLean No. 29 Left Wing 6.00, 180 lb ,1 i