In this episode, Brandon Caputo and Cam Halbert overview the Niagara IceDogs end of 2023 with the games during the month of December, react to fan polls, state of the lineup, and general roster outlook as we approach January 10th’s OHL Trade Deadline.
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You’re listening to the armchair GM Sports [Applause] Network this is Rod Mahood your in-game voice of the niagar Ice Dogs and you’re listening to the dog pound podcast on the armchair GM Sports Network your podcast source for all game analysis team interviews and up-to-date news regarding the Niagara ice dos cini overtime ice dos
Win to ail Thomas Thomas has the angle coming in he’s Ver hanging does it again 52.1 seconds to go the love it Niagara welcome in to another episode of the dog pound podcast the official podcast of your Niagara Ice Dogs proudly brought to you by Global Pet Foods where pets are undeniably part of the family visit any four of their great Naga region locations Brandon kuto and cam how with you on today’s episode breaking
Down the last month for the Niagara Ice Dogs for December of 2023 Happy New Year to everybody we’re now in 2024 and we’ve got a lot to discuss with the Ice Dogs the upcoming OHL trade deadline is next Tuesday January 10th and we’ve got to go over you know what
What we think the ice dogs might do heading into uh the deadline and and some recent results that they’ve had some players that are sticking out and our fan polls as well so guys make sure you’re following the podcast on X Dogpound podcast and we’re available on all social medias as well Facebook
Instagram uh Tik Tok we’re doing a lot more on there as well so go give us some love there if you’re enjoying the video version of the of the podcast make sure to hit like hit subscribe and smash that Bell and to those listening today in on
Demand audio thank you very much for doing that so with that said cam let’s uh jump into today’s episode and if you listen to our game recaps which I should give a plug for those uh after every home game cam and I record directly from the rank post game with h with head
Coach Ben Buro uh as well as a as a player interview and we also uh recap the game as a whole so uh go and check those out on our audio platforms after every game um the lineup cam let start off with that because it was an
Interesting lineup on Sunday for the Ice Dogs on New Year’s Eve a big 65 Victory against the GFF storm which they desperately needed after a couple of rough games but uh and we pointed that out right it was something you mentioned right away the four or the three 16-year-old centerman were their top
Three centers you had Ryan robri Ethan Zada and Ivan gallan and even Andrew rulan as a 17-year-old was the fourth line Center so uh the confidence that Ben Buro is showing in his young players right now and he talked about it in the post game it uh it’s very apparent right
Now what their goal is right now no yeah it’s definitely it’s to to look towards the future and we had mentioned in Prior game recaps that well at least I I’ve said i’ I’ve loved to see robri at Center just simply because of his size um and I think that eventually he’ll
Probably end up there uh we’ll have to wait and see it’s very difficult for a player to break in uh to the ol as a centerman as a 16-year-old and but Zada and galanov have done it uh quite well they’ve been primarily centers for the majority uh Zada has played a little bit
On the wing as well but galanov has pretty much been um solely at Center um after after his uh his start there but uh I I think that it was um again I I I always go back to that that Kitchener game in the the quote by um head coach
Benro just about the there’s no excuses no matter the lineup or the team that they’re playing when they beat kiter with a significantly underman roster U 16 three 16y old centers uh and they were able to take down gal one of the best teams in the conference so um just
A fantastic performance all the way around and uh a really kind of a nice highlight to end the not just the month of December but 2023 with a focus on what’s coming as opposed to you know just kind of what’s Happening Now and Owen Flores has continued to get the
Bulk of the starts in the net cam uh Charlie Burns came in to relieve Owen Flores and Owen Sound and uh the team just didn’t play well in front of him in that third period and and burns unfortunately uh gave up a six spot but
Um not not due to anything that he did it was just one of those games where uh the team just didn’t have it and and on sound really took it to them so uh we we heard Ben budro in our last uh monthly recap talk about you know dogging a
Floor as his agent and saying you know he’s our guy um and they were going to really ride him until they were you know mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and while they’re still you know in the hunt here they’re just going to keep riding with ow floor as even
Three and threes it seems like he’s going to be the guy moving forward and and he’s got every single start here since Marcus vandenbberg was dealt to the sbur wolves I mean I think that if you take a look at like where the team is and the standings and how well own
Flores has played I mean the first like month and a half while they weren’t getting wins every game they were essentially in like if you go back and look at how many one goal losses this team has it’s pretty staggering not including like empty Nets obviously but
Flores and Vandenberg did a great job as well especially near his T near the end of his tenure here before he was traded but Flores is clearly going to be the the starter and I think that it just shows their commitment to showcasing him this year as well as next season um in
His overage year if if if he do happen to return so um you know I think that it’s probably the correct move as long as he says he can play three and three I’m Blown Away by that regardless of what level of hockey you’re playing at
It’s three games in three nights uh it’s one of the crazier things about this league compared to like the NHL or AHL is that you play three and three so um just uh a great job by him all the way around and he’s really become a leader
Like vocal he’s um he will he is fiery like I guess that’d be the way to describe him he won’t back down from um you know scrums and even he will let his team know when they need to wake up that kind of thing and I you know I don’t
Think you want always want a golender to be harping on their team but you know he doesn’t do it always but I feel like he does it at the right spots and I think that uh he has been one of the bright spots of the team and I’m really excited
To see how he finishes out the year for sure and we’ll discuss the updated lineup here Cam and that that will be brought to you by the nager employment help center helping people find work in nager since 1983 check out throughout today jobboard at ec. N.C to find your
Next work opportunity today this was the last lineup against the GF storm uh so we can kind of talk about this a little bit more in depthly than maybe we would uh on the game recap so the first line was Kevin he Ryan robri and Zack lavois
We heard Ben Buro in the postgame talk about we wanted to Showcase you know the future of this organization and put it on display in front of a big crowd on New Year’s Eve that was quite a quote from the Ice Dogs head coach Kevin he
And Ryan robri you know they’re kind of the cornerstones of the franchise as far as the future of it goes um you know Kevin he the star rookie last year and Ryan robri trying to break his rookie go record this year along with the captain Zack lavois you know what did you think
Of of that Trio there I think the quote was perfect that he’s going to put his best players he’s going to put them together I think that the interesting part of of the coaching change um that he is aware of and it’s not like some sort of like tiptoed around thing is
That he is going to get run here it is not going to be a situation where uh he’s filling in and if he doesn’t perform well then they’re going to look elsewhere uh Ben brro is going to be the head coach for at least I I don’t I
Don’t know what the time frame is but he is going to get a a longer run than um you know the last you you know feral and um kuara did simly because you know they tried uh when when the ownership changed to get a Memorial Cup bid and make the
Playoffs and it was kind of just trying to keep up and all the moves were to just try and okay let’s win a game let’s win the next game let’s win the next game as opposed to let’s build something here and the the difference in the postgame interviews that you can hear is
That um buo is much more candid and I think that’s a because he’s confident in his ability and his team but he’s also aware that he’s got a little bit more run here and he wants things to be built in in the correct way so they can build
Sustain sucess success as opposed to just trying to come close to a playoff spot you know they’re not going all out and I think that that’s a that’s a big important message change in when he just he knows that okay uh instead of spreading them out and trying to make it
A more you know trying to trying to you know Tinker he’s like let’s just put our three best players offensively all in the same line and see how it goes and it went with it’s gone really well and I don’t think you can argue with the the
The thought process on that and just a touch on some of the more offensive capabilities if if you unless you want to go through the rest of the lineup first but Kevin like currently just almost he’s got 19 goals he’s tied for 12th in the league in scoring um so you
Know he has really come alive uh it’s it’s obviously he’s got one of the best shots in the league he’s going to he is going to get draft I’m gonna go on a Lim here he’s going to get drafted and uh that would be the first player to get drafted since uh
Gkin yep but he technically had even he hadn’t even played with the ice dogs before he was drafted so yeah he got he was the European import he was drafted and then the actual NHL draft happened and he was and he was selected by the sharks in the third round so yeah he
Would be what was that’s a good trivia question for you off the top of your head what was the what was the last uh was it was it ail th it was Phil thomasino in the first round by Nashville yeah because lne was before him too so it’s been a minute right like
It’s been a minute and Niagara used to turn out some if you look at if you were to go back and look at the alumni of the OHL teams I think a lot of people would be surprised at the lineup the Ice Dogs would ice um simply because there was a
Time period where they would just they were just tur out first rounders I mean Jason Robertson is one of the best OHL alumni and he’s he was an ice dog you know traded Kingston nonetheless he was a part of the franchise on top you mentioned thomasino Kil Thomas you’ve
Got potentially one of the best you know OHL D pairs in Petra Angelo and douge Hamilton so Vince Dunn Ben Jones carder haggy like there’s a ton of great players that have come here and it it you know in amidst all the the offy stuff that has happened over the last
Four years the the foundation has just been so shaky and now for the first time even when coach kuar was there no disrespect to him but it still felt like he was trying to just keep his head above water even with the some of the lineup changes lineup choices right like
Um the the coaching change to Buro does not feel like that at all like he is simply making it okay I know I’m going to be here for a couple years I’m GNA make some roster decisions in lineup decisions based on I’m going to be here
For a couple years which I think is the correct way to go because the ice team clearly needs like um a couple of years of a full rebuild as opposed to LOF the expectations that were maybe you know maybe above above where they were and you’re seeing it right now like when
They win and the team Vibe it’s just so good you know like it’s so good that you would think that that a team that you know has the record that they have it would just be even when they win it’s like whatever it’s not like that like
The team being around the team that you a lot of people don’t see um it’s surprising and um you know Kevin is going to be a big Cornerstone piece of that and rubric all all all like everything aside like we needed him to be a second overall pick like that like legitimately
Because if if if he is not what he is that’s a wasted season essentially right and it was a hor season and he has carried the pressure of that and being the number two overall pick and he has been one of the best draft picks this season and they’ve really nailed it he’s
Got a great shot he lead he has 107 shots on goal um you know he’s he’s uh first in the league among 16-year-old rookies um you know and uh just continue to impress as he gets as he gets a little bit more comfortable in the league and um you’re starting to see it
Like physically his four check is I don’t know what it is man I’ve talked in a couple reame pre couple Recaps his ability to for check by himself is I don’t know how players turn the puck over to him because he’s hard to miss
And um he’s it’s fun to watch and it as a fan just you know media side as a fan it’s it’s fun to have someone like him on the team um because we’re going to follow his Junior career and you know I I would have to assume again you know
Nothing’s guaranteed but probably an NHL draft pick as well and now you’ve got Kevin now you’ve got you you’ve got uh uh Ryan and and and your building blocks and everyone around just kind of elevates their game because of that yeah and I think the important thing you
Mentioned there was Ben Buro he has a long-term plan here and he’s going to be implementing it because he’s got that that Runway that you talked about and he’s going to be able to make those decisions and and have a long-term Outlook I guess on the organization it’s not a Swagger but it’s
A it’s realistic the way that he interacts with us and and media as well as what he’s doing with the team it is it is realistic he knows that he can’t lose 40 games and expect to you know keep his job that’s not what we’re saying it it’s just that there you know
He is going to be a big part of the team and he’s not he’s going to get his run and I think that that’s a perfect person to do his his um coaching style is uh much louder than some of the press coaches that we’ve had and um you know
He holds his players accountable we’ve seen it we’ve seen him it to Kevin on the bench when when Kevin has you know you know not every no matter how good of a player you are you’re going to have shifts or mistakes like it’s a it’s a development league like that’s just
What’s going to happen and there’s no one that is safe from you know that kind of you know accountability and that’s important because when the top end players feel accountable then the rest of them feel accountable and dude every game there’s very few mistakes because for the first two periods of almost
Every game it feels like a playoff game like every time like all the games are close regardless of where they are in the standings and uh you know it’s fun now to see that’s the major difference from this year last year with the trade deadline passed last year it was over
The season was over there was very little um hope in what we were watching going forward other than Kevin and then obviously azdor and lvo was actually a really fun storyline as the season went along but we didn’t know what the impact of them going forward would have been
Now it’s like you know we’ve got some really good pieces that’ll be here for three more years and uh that that’ll be that’ll be quite interesting and it’s fun to watch them like rubri going after and being the leading score among rookies that’s something we can watch
And and and hope for and cheer for and even in you know the losses if we’re if we’re not going to be in a position to make the playoffs that’s something to look forward to same thing with with Kevin watching him in his draft year just continue to pile up the goals and
My God like some of the goals he scores are it’s it’s nuts it’s crazy yeah that one he scored in yri that was not a many players in the league are going to be able to pick a spot like that uh with not a whole lot of room so um yeah Ben
Buro putting his best players out there uh together on that line and all three of them have over a 100 shots on that so that shows you that those are the three three guys that are out there you know putting the puck towards in that and getting the most scoring opportunities
Uh we’ll quickly run through the rest of the lineup and then I want to talk about the power play a little bit uh Brody crane Ethan Zada Matthew Paris those are two players that just recently came back from injury um we’ll talk about them in the some of the Twitter polls uh we
Talked about Ethan Zod on our last game recap obviously scored two goals and he’s got three goals in the last two games uh four all season long so he’s technically tripled his goal output uh for the season Evan Klein Evan G Ivan galanov and Ma Mike Levan jeez Klein
Galanov and Levan on the third line and then federo veran and Stewart federo jumping up to forward just because he has that versatility he’s played forward in London but but I know he you know prefers to play defense but he’s really taking one for the team right now as a
Leader uh jumping up on forward while they’re missing Bryant pooo and asadorian up front um and then on defense wek Padre car uh denil Sev Bronson Ry Ryan veton and ardam frolov and then theform mentioned Owen Flores and Charlie Burns but um you know cam what what are you thinking about the
Forward lines it would obviously look different if they had Brian poo and asadorian in the lineup but um you know they they held their own for what this lineup was on Sunday night on New Year’s Eve no absolutely yeah like the lineup would look far different because your
Top three centerman were literally out right and they were just filled in like rber had played Wing the entire year uh he moves over to Center Zada again would play wing on the M majority I believe I would love to see the split um because I
Know early on in the year he was at Center but down on the third line um so to have him you know back at Center and then um galanov like galanov has been really impressive over the last two months especially since the coaching changed because they just let him go and
He’s just so relentless on the puck he’s a very very fun player to watch like High super high energy um again the lineup is tough to judge simply because those three players that were out would 1,000% be in the lineup no matter what uh but one thing I want to touch on
About Zada is that he had such a slow start offensively and in our last game recap um coach vro mentioned that and like talked about him starting to get a more confidence offensively he has six points in the last six games not just the goals he has six points in six games
He’s got 11 on the year now in 29 so again he only had five points in his first 23 games him galanov and rubrick are now all in the top 18 in rookie scoring right so uh super impressive just from that aspect now they’re all starting to score because those three
Will be here for three years and we talked about I talked about it on the last uh the last game recap is that the management hitting on four of their their first four picks last year is massive like that’s a huge win and if they can do it one more time this team
Looks drastically different because last next year when Zod G if Z if let’s say the season plays out and uh we don’t know what moves are going to be made we’ll touch on that in a little bit just on you know the state of the team but if
Rubri galanov and Zada get like run and we just see them play at Center like that could be your top three centerman we’re all drafted in one year you know like that’s that’s impressive like that’s tough to do and then you go out and make your moves um you know in two
Years to see you know that’s how you make your supplemental moves so that’ll be interesting to see um but you know some that doesn’t get talked about enough is a Paris i i find I don’t know why he always falls under the radar um he’s quietly had a very good offensive
Season especially for the ice dogs that needed it but I think him and Lev are always com like just kind of compared because they came over from the same team and at the beginning of the year and roughly the same time um but Levan has that like he’ll fight anyone like
Which is so crazy because he’s not a big guy right he just has that like whereas pair is a little bit more a little bit more reserved um but he has been great as well and Brody crane definitely looks like um someone that is bringing like a
Locker room presence when we talked to him he mentioned hanging out with rubric and and it definitely seems like they’ve got like a good vibe on the team and that’s something that again you guys don’t see uh is just like in the locker room they all seem to be much more
Connected than past years yeah and crane obviously coming from a a great London nights organization and knows what a good locker room is and knows you know what what that team cohesion uh what it takes to to get to the OHL Championship and be competitive year in and year out
So bringing in those guys I think is important but um the guy we don’t touch much on because he’s not the flashiest player and we don’t notice him on some nights but we always forget that arum frolov is a 16-year-old rookie playing defense right now we talk about the
Three forwards up front with gallan of Rober kada but playing defense in the Ontario hockey league as a 16-year-old might be one of the hardest things to do in this league and he’s done a good job of it again there’s been a couple of games where you know he’s gotten you
Know lost in in the dzone earlier in the year but those are the growing pains that he’s working through as as a young defenseman but a guy that you don’t notice on more times than on most nights because he’s just so stable back there you don’t even real iiz that he’s that
Young and and that he’s continued to to build into a solid defenseman for years to come for this team to put it in perspective for people that might not have been paying attention uh he has eight points in 20 in 34 games he is currently tied in points with number one
Overall pick Matthew Schaefer now obviously you know that doesn’t that doesn’t mean much in in in the grand scheme of things but that just goes to show like how well he’s done and how difficult it is the first overall pick in the OHL you know know has eight
Points in in in a few less games but still like it is not easy to pile up points and it’s more about just not getting crushed in your own Zone and he has done a fantastic job and I think a lot of that goes into the early on in
The year where he was just paired with soov he was at so’s hip and that was a perfect pairing someone who was an NHL drafted player uh will hit everyone um very physical and and like just demanded the top competition speaks his language too exactly like it was just a very very
Good fit I think that’s very important for um defenseman as as they develop but just by going off of rookie scoring obviously rookie scoring is very difficult in the OHL as a as a 16-year-old fov’s sixth you know so um and he doesn’t have a goal yet I think
He had didn’t he have one that was taken away or tipped I believe it was a tip I don’t know it was a tip yeah but nonetheless he has been you know we talking about the three forwards probably because they again more offensive more flash uh frolov has
Looked great and again if you can get a top four defenseman um in the draft in the fourth round third round he was second round I was mixed up I was mixed up him and galanov um it’s just great awesome job and uh you know he he definitely doesn’t get talked about
Enough he’s uh he’s going to be a big part of the team and lastly before we hit the break cam let’s quickly talk about the power play we talked about how candid Ben buo is and how honest he is um at practice he they they work on this
All the time you know just trying to to get uh quick shots to the net with a bunch of traffic in front just to tryy to get those dirty goals uh work on anything they can he he recognizes and acknowledges that they’re last place in
The OHL as far as the power play goes they’re at 10 uh 2% it might be a little bit different uh now I’m looking at last game’s uh uh Media Kit but I mean regardless they’re still last place in the OHL uh in power play and that’s got
To be better if you want to continue to be a playoff team I know their power play last year wasn’t too bad but I mean every other aspect of their game you know wasn’t good and and it can be you know a stat that you look at and say you
Know it can be subjective but at the same time it’s got to be better than 20th Place I don’t care if it’s you know mid pack or whatever but if you want to be a competitive team you got to be able to to score on the man advantage and
Just more times than not they haven’t been able to do that this year what do you think when you watch when you go to the away games as well and I I get to watch them on TV so it’s a little bit a little bit different but what do you see
From the power play that you think is the the glaring thing I honestly think like they’re trying too hard like sometimes like I feel like with because he has a way of putting you know the four forwards out there maybe even five forwards when they had so many
Defenseman out um and when Padre car was gone but it’s it’s almost I I can’t pinpoint it or else I’d probably tell them what I what I thought but not that they care what I think but regardless like when I’m watching the power play they try to set up you know
Rub brick or Kevin he for a one-time uh but when they’re working on it in practice they’re really just trying to force feed pucks to the net get those those guys at the point to to throw it on net have two guys standing in front
Of there to hopefully be able to to pot that thing in but when it comes to the games it’s almost like that it changes a little bit and sometimes they try to go what like we talked about you know early in the year they try to go top shelf and
It goes high glass and it’s out of the Zone the thing that I think is the glaring like when I watch uh we watch we London at the beginning of the year that’s a perfect examp because they have potentially one of the best defenseman like one-timers and slap shots in the in
The league right now in Sam Dickinson but I think that they miss they they do not have a shooter that has a like a high level like Slap Shot and so when they when they get it to the point it’s uh that that’s not to say that they
Don’t have good Shooters it’s just I I don’t know if any I don’t know when was the last time you saw a slap shot goal not not I cannot think of one like probably Kevin but it you know like it’s their wrist shot that makes him so
Lethal even Zach like his his his uh his it’s his wrist shot that makes it so potent and I think that because if other teams are watching film I don’t know the last time that they took a slap shot from the point that you know had some I
Mean Sev has a decent shot too but um I just think that that’s what they’re missing and that’s hard to find like that that’s not a that’s that’s a very rare thing but I mean if you look at London’s play now everything goes through Halton and Halton might have the
Best onetime in the like I I call him like finish Danny Heatley like he has a onetime from the dot that it’s it’s not like oie that’s next that’s all time but like it reminds with Danny hey because you know it’s coming and it is just a
Cannon and he brings his stick all the way to the roof and it just looks funny because I you can go watch watch highlights of him and I’m starting to think that like instead of they they work it back to the point they do go
Back to the point a lot like just make the point the right side and just feed Kevin like don’t stop you know and obviously players will like teams can can address that and things like that and that might be their plan all is what it is because once you get in the game
It’s completely different right but um without that that threat of a of a one-time at the point or a slap shot from the point you can just collapse all the way down and know that like that’s not coming and they’re trying to get that perfect shot and like you mentioned
I don’t know how many times we’ve seen a shot go off the glass and that’s because they have guys that shoot top corner and they have some great Shooters but when you miss you go up that’s out that’s out of the Zone when you miss low that’s a
Rebound into the corner out in front like it’s covered but when you miss high that’s a other way more than often than not especially with how hard they shoot it because they do shoot hard so that’s just like a fundamental thing and and maybe that will come like
If they get a defenseman or or maybe one of the D men that they have now starts to kind of Let It Go from the point I’d love to see Bronson shoot a little bit more because we don’t see that but they’ve been running five forwards right
And that’s the thing even when they put Kevin back on the on on D which we’ve seen quite a few I believe he was on I don’t know if it’s it’s funny because I think that they put Kevin on the point on some of it and maybe that was the
Idea but even Kevin slapshot isn’t his strength I don’t think like it’s it’s his ability to just put his wrist shot wherever he wants so I don’t know I think that that’s probably the thing that see the most I’m not a coach or anything it’s just what I what I noticed
I early on in the year was they couldn’t break into the Zone I think they’ve alleviated that their ability to break the puck into the zone is much better than it was the first month and a half of two months of the season so I think they’ve really addressed that but yeah I
Would just everything low just shoot low everything and I think that you’ll see a lot more ugly goals and I think that would really increase their power play numbers yeah they’re working through it and again like you mentioned there there’s positive strides in certain areas of the power play uh but again uh
Ben B will be the first one to tell you that they need to start you know potting in those goals because at the end of the day that’s what matters well the other thing too is that the power play is a system right and you’ve got so many
Young players in the lineup especially like when Zada and rubric are on the power play like there’s like a delay in in thinking on that for a little while like while you’re trying to you’re trying to make the perfect pass make the perfect play you don’t want to clear the
Zone and as they get more confident with the puck and their demand for it like I think that they’ll get a a little bit better in that aspect right so um we’ll have to we’ll have to wait and see we’re going to take quick break on the show
Today we’re going to come back with more uh reaction to the Ice Dogs uh month of December we’ve got our Twitter polls we’ll go over uh what we’re expecting uh leading up to January’s 10th trade deadline uh what the outlook on the roster looks like right now uh with the
Uh the years of the players that they currently have as well we’ll update the standings and uh just kind of look ahead to the next five games for the Ice Dogs which will be on home ice so stay here’ll be right back on the dog pound podcast the official podcast of your nag
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25 years this is Alex asadorian it’s Ryan Rob Bronson R this is Gavin Bryant you’re listening dog pound podcast the official podcast of the Niagara Ice Dogs welcome back to the dog pound podcast the official podcast of your Niagara Ice Dogs proudly brought you by Global Pet Foods where pets are undeniably part of the family visit any for their great nag region locations cam Halbert and Brandon Kut are with you and usually on our
Monthly recap shows we have a segment with the GM West consorti head coach Ben Buro and Captain Zack lavois we are not going to do that uh because we are going to be recording another episode in a couple of weeks from now uh as trade deadline Fallout and uh kind of updating
On the roster and we’ll we’ll talk to GM weskin sorty and Ice Dogs head coach Ben Buro uh just uh you know just made more sense to to do that um you know after the trade deadline but we still wanted to come out here and give you guys a
Solid uh monthly recap for December so with that said cam they were five- six in the month of December and ending off 2023 they ended it off on a high note obviously with that big win against the GF storm but uh before we move move on
You know out of the games for the month of December you know they they had some pretty big wins uh they had that Kitchener win uh that Peterborough win and then the the trade for Marcus of Marcus vandenbberg happened uh they lost three games in a row there then they
Went and beat the Ottawa 67s and the Kingston front AXS before losing a close game to the North Bay Battalion right before the Christmas break and then they came out obviously with uh you know the game that they’ll want to forget in ow and sound um the back and forth game
Against the iots and then finally that win against the GF storm so you know what what’s one or two games that really stuck out to you from the month of December well definitely the Kitchener game because that was uh I think that’s going to be one that these guys will
Remember and be able to and think back to regardless of the situation because that was it was an underman roster I think there was like 12 forwards everyone was sick and hurt and they beat the best at the time best team in the league yep yep like that that’s crazy to
Think about um and then obviously the one against uh the one against Ottawa in my opinion at home was huge too uh the 75 win against the 67s um those are the two ones that’s going to be Peterboro was was impressive as well I’ll be
Honest with you the the G one was a great team game like it was probably the most fun game that I’ve seen this year there’s a lot of good ones but just the way that it was chippy I just love that all these guys answer like all these
Guys answer the bell for for each other and like as a hockey fan like that’s like what you what you want to see right right and um they they’ve done such a good job of that and I’ll be curious what happens after the after the trade
Deadline and how it looks but again I don’t think it’s we’re we’re we’re in any uncertainty there’s a clear plan in place they have four 16-year-olds that will be here for three years more than likely at least after this one three yes after this one and um you know there’s
Some finally some excitement in that and uh some future pieces and that’s not to say like you still have lavois and a adoran and and Flores and you know and Bronson and all these guys like there there’s still a long list like as as a
Fan it’s been much more fun to watch our second segment today is brought to you by Wild Bills Auto Repair helping customer stay safe and confident on the road to nerson 2012 in honor the late William Robert Hunter Cam let’s take a look at the uh standings real quick and
Just update everybody on that the ice dogs currently sit 11 points back of the Peterborough pets who have been slumping as of late they obviously we going into a build mode this year but got off to a great start um and have really faltered since then 2 and eight in their last 10
And and they look to probably be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline and they’ll get Owen back back from uh Team Canada who just uh lost you know a heartbreaker in the world juniors to czechia so he’ll come back and most likely be dealt um at the deadline I
Would assume I heard the Sue Greyhounds right now are the current leaders in that but again who am I to know that uh regardless the the pets sit 11 points ahead of the Ice Dogs but I would assume that that Gap would get closed it’s more so what Barry decides to do because
Barry right now is the other team that’s out of the playoffs they had an unfortunate injury with Bo Aki not U uh being out for the season uh it was a heartbreaking injury for the Edmonton Oilers second round pick and then Shala who’s now up with uh I believe it’s CIA
At the world juniors so they’ve been missing him as one of their their best players so if you’re the ice dogs and we’re h both we’re halfway through the year now um and they got to make up 11 points they got to make up for the final playoff spot and they’re currently six
Points behind Barry who also have three games in hand on Niagara so cam like go as we talk about that you know are you optimistic that if they can continue to pull out you know may if they’re playing three games pull out two wins or if they’re splitting two game weeks like do
You think that they could really find a way to get back into this thing they have a five game home stand coming up and it literally determines the whole season I’ll be honest with you the the the I personally don’t believe that the playoffs are are are going to happen
Again just is a you even if you like like let’s say they make up 10 points that’s five wins but everyone else above you has to lose right and they only need Peterboro essentially and the Colts to lose um and and you know so maybe but I
I would I would be stunned like they’re going to play Owen Sound on the fifth and like I I don’t it won’t be a 10- two loss um if they can win if they can win against Owen Sound they play Windsor last place in their conference Barry
Right above them in the conference so the the other the other team that’s out of the playoff spot they play Flint who is third last in their conference and then they play uh a really tough game against Miss Saga so like if they can win four of these five it’ll be
Interesting um but I just you know it’s it is not like last year because last year was in the same situation we’re last at this point of the season um but it’s um it’s about developing now like and building towards next season I think and the trade deadline’s probably going to be the
Showing that or a proof of that um but we’ll see if they can beat Owen Sound like it’ll be pretty interesting like it will be because there’s a potential chance to go on a nice four game when was the last time we won four games in a row
2018 2019 probably yeah so you never know right and the team plays so well like so consistently and um but it’s it’s a four game home stand essentially like a major like they play so much on the road in the last 20 games of the Season like it’s a staggering amount
Because they played so much at home already and they always played pretty well on the road so who knows and yeah I mean the I’m not going to write them off yet but again the moves at the at the upcoming deadline might you know like you said show that
They’re more so going for a long-term Outlook but I think it would still be important for them to maybe sneak in that eth spot because gaining that experience of being in the playoffs would be huge for this young group and I think they’re going to do everything
That they possibly can to try to sneak into that last playoff spot even if you go up against an Ottawa team or Miss aaga team because that’s going to be valuable for them going into next year that hopefully they’ll they’ll be you know a higher team in the as far as
Seeding goes I I would really love for them to to be able to sneak in and and just gain that experience for this young group that they haven’t really had in in four years now I mean man if they are able to make the playoffs like that’s
Like not even for the team the city like the the fan base of Niagara is one of the best I know every team says they have the best fans but like they show up like regardless of where they are in the standings like if they are able to make
The playoffs like that is massive not to mention like they if they were to make the playoffs they’re playing playoff hockey the whole way through and I think that maybe something interesting about the trade deadline is not so much like selling everything but it would go a long way to show not
Selling a lot you know like that like that’s that’s also something like a lot of teams like where they’re kind of Fringe playoff teams and they buy or they don’t buy and that kind of is an indicator and usually teams that don’t buy at the deadline or have any
Additions they kind of just falter because it’s like you know in the locker room it’s like we didn’t get any help you know and that kind of looks rough not trading a lot of the Pieces away because the draft went so well this year draft picks are so hit or man like
They are they’re like obviously they’re so important but if you look at like like London like yes they draft well but they just go and get whoever they want via trades right so it’s not like they all just rely on the on the draft right
So to maybe hold on to Sev and hold on to some of the overages right like that’s an interesting thing you know to that would go so far in that Locker I guarantee you you know and we see they’ve got an no way spot open and I
Believe the OA deadline is a day before um the trade deadline so you have to have your over aers locked in I believe it’s a day or two before the actual trade uh deadline on the 10th but um you know looking at the Outlook of it they’re going to have seven over agers
Next year Owen Flores Ryan veton Zack Lao Brody crane uh Evan Klein Gavin Bryant Mike podo so obviously you can’t keep all those guys going into next year we’re not going to talk about specific players because that’d be unfair but just go talking about the numbers themselves I mean you would expect that
If moves were made maybe an ‘ 04 gets moved out just because they would get to have seven next year but uh regardless of that if if they do decide to make moves you know I I think you know Ben Buro still going to continue on with his
Plan here and then that’s not going to change after January 10th I think he’s already you know basically planning for uh if moves happen because we saw what the lineup looked like without asadorian Brian and podo on there and and he’s relying on all these young players and
Everybody else stepping up too I think that’s important that you know it wasn’t just those guys but um everybody else kind of pul hold their their own Andrew Weiss scored the OT winner and he’s been you know one of those players that we looked at that continue to get better um
And and and I really you know trust that you know this team’s going to remain competitive down the stretch I don’t think that if they move two or three guys that they’re going to you know just be completely non-competitive because you know they’ve shown that they can
Have upwards of eight n guys out of the lineup and still take down a top kitchen or Rangers team that’s like the coaching staff and the new team mentality like I 100% agree like I don’t think that even if they if they trade it away and as a
Again I think that the smart money is to probably get as many asss as you can it always is like if if if they feel like if they were to lose to Owen Sound and Windsor and now they’re even they’re 14 points back let’s say then obviously the playoffs are probably a statistical
Nightmare and but that doesn’t mean that this team is not going to compete because we’ve seen it every night regardless and the other thing to mention is that like in the OHL like the reason why it’s fun to watch CHL hockey in general is because everyone is
Playing as hard as they can at all times for the most part it is not like there’s guaranteed spots and stuff like you know what I mean like they are all going all out and I don’t think could you imagine if someone kind of you know just kind of
You know coasted what head coach you know Ben brro would do that person’s getting benched for 10 games like you know what I mean like I don’t think like he wouldn’t let anybody mail it in absolutely exactly so I I that I’m not that I’m not worried about like if they
If they don’t make the playoffs I don’t think it’s going to be a thing where we see 10 nothing losses every night like like it was last year I that is not going to be the case um because everyone’s GNA be fighting for spots next year the interesting thing though
You listed all the over ages for next year they don’t need to be moved right now no and on top of that like I don’t even want to mention any but like you know Zack lall as the captain it’s it’s it’d be very surprised to see him go but
You know everyone else like they’re going to be shown and put into spots because they’re not going to you know uh give up a chance to win games they’re going to put the best lineup out there if you want to highlight some of these guys to be put into better spots to and
Put up more numbers maybe it might be a better it might be better to like let them let them cook in Niagara for the rest of the year and then in the offseason make your decisions I don’t think they it’s the overage this year is what I’m more alluding to and I’m more
Curious the deadline as to what happens because obviously if you keep them that’s it you’re not getting anything for them but the over agers that that are going to be over agers next year like there’s still a offseason to move them and we’ve we know how active in the
Trade market that you know that that that um Jim West consor is and ownership is um so it’s not like they’re not willing to make moves in the offseason so I’d be I’d be like what I mentioned I think it would go a long way to not
Trade a lot of those guys next year at the deadline to show them that like hey we might be in last place right now but we’re not just selling everyone off for spare parts and I think that would that would be a massive thing and then de
Then deal with the issues in next in the offseason let them finish the season that they’ve had because I said man like they’ve won huge games against like we’re not talking about winning against Windsor you know they beat Kitchener like like that’s crazy to think about so
Um no I I I I’m more curious to see what they would do with the over agers this year and you know just talking about like yeah we want to mention any specifically fedo is from here right like that’s a good story he wants to be
Here like so it’ be interesting to see what’ll happen and again it all depends on what the players want too again it’s not just you know it is a business but what the players want matters a ton to developmental League exactly so if there’s over this year they want to shot
At the playoffs obviously they’re going to do what they can to to help facilitate that right so but yeah I’m I’d be curious to see by the next year ones I don’t think they’re I I I think it would go a long way to not move them
Yeah and plus there might be more options for more teams to get involved in the offseason their their teams might might be filled right now but it might give them more you know options and opportunity uh in the offseason when teams are you know trying to fill out the their rosters because they’re
Probably you know for the most part filled out already through halfway through the year um so cam before we go I want to talk about uh the Twitter polls and guys make sure uh following us at Dogpound podcast we try to put out polls for uh these episodes that we do
To give you guys a little bit of input and uh have that inter action with what you guys thought so uh the polls will start off here and I got them up on the video version if you’re following Along on audio you can pull them up uh on our
Twitter account at Dogpound podcast which Ice Dogs player has impressed most by taking the biggest step forward in the past month Ryan rber Kevin he Andrew Weck and Ethan Zada and it was actually a tie between Kevin he and Ethan Zada uh Ryan robrick uh in third place Andrew
Wek but interesting that Ethan Zada and again I think you mentioned this lot with recency bias he scored three goals in the last two games and and Kevin’s obviously been on a tear to but um all four of these guys in my opinion have really made positive strides and for the
Successes that the ice Dougs have had uh with the wins these guys have been big parts of that oh absolutely and I think that the thing to remember is that Kevin having such a good month and and scoring a ton it’s not like it’s it’s unfair to be
Like that’s expected but like that’s expected he’s now having the season that we all kind of anticipated and him himself thought he would after a slow start so I think that like that’s probably why it went that way um but I yeah I personally would think like Zada
Being offensive is so big for the team because I think that I I’ve mentioned this number of times throughout the game recaps that he is going to be a fan favorite he will get into everyone’s Grill he’s already fought multiple times Well at least once I can think up the
Top of my head but he doesn’t back down from anything plays very good defensively as well um and it was just offense defensively that was what was kind of missing from his game and you know if he can put up 40 50 points like that’s a massive uh thing to add to your
Team as someone who looks to be like your top six you know Center no absolutely and and I look at the the second poll here which ice dog player has made the biggest impact since returning from injury Brody crane Matthew Paris and Andrew veran Matthew Paris takes it at 58.8 Brody Crane in
Second with 29.4 but just having all those guys back in the lineup has just been like a breath of fresh air and I feel bad for the other guys that you know have been in there all year and having to play under man but you know it’s almost been
Like an injection of just more Talent into the lineup which obviously with these talented players coming back but it just it fills out the lineup in a way where it gives coach Ben budro more options because he’s not just riding with the same two lines and a bunch of
Call-ups trying to piece together a fourth line or even sometimes a third line with only a couple of players or or some call-ups or what have you but um I I just think like having guys like Paris and crane around um and verm and being
Able toit to fill a bottom six role like it’s just it’s helped the team just in in all aspects and it’s just been nice having those guys back in the lineup and not looking at our pregame lineup sheet and having it you know filled with a bunch of scratches on it I mean
Absolutely I like when was the last time we saw a full lineup okay I I like It’s just tough like I don’t know a team that we we mentioned this in the show like what was what other team in the OHL has to put three 16-year-old centers as their as
Their team and not but it went great right it’s just that you know like that’s extremely tough on the guys that have played all season long and you can’t do anything but injuries they’re always going to happen in hockey it’s a brutal sport in that aspect and um yeah
They’ve all been they’ve all been great since since coming back uh from injury and lastly which I STS player will make the biggest impact upon their return to the lineup Gavin Bryant Alex asadorian and Mike poo the three uh centers that we mentioned earlier in the show that
Have been out Gavin Bryant takes that pull 60% Alex asadorian and Mike podo close second and third there but um you know if they are to get these all three of these guys back which is hopefully soon I think that that you know would like where would they slot in maybe
Rubri goes back to the wing maybe Zada goes back to the wing but they they played so well and at least they’ve shown coach Ben buo that while their top three centers have and are out that these guys can fill into those roles when needed for maybe short stints again
Keeping them there for the whole year they might start to to go through some lows in there because they’re such young players but it just shows that he has the flexibility to be able to move these guys around and and that’s that’s big as
A head coach to be able to know that you have the confidence in these guys that um you know as even as young players they can step into those big Center roles when you’re missing some of your big guns like asadorian Bryant in podo right now well no absolutely like it
It’s it’s crazy cuz like like now since since that game that game um like the one against uh the most recent um against 12 like I just want to see like rubri at Center you know because it went it went well right and it might not
Continue to go well but the reason why I think like the most impact com back Gavin Bryan’s so good on the faceoff dot like he’s I think he he’s got to be the team’s best Faceoff man and uh definitely like a leader um it it the
Thing that like that is uh the most um unfortunate is that pooo seems to be dealing with some injuries over the last little while and like the last like month of the Season his start was so dominant like he was by far the biggest most improved fler for the ice STS like
To me to be honestly the first month and a half of the season if you watched every game it wasn’t even close because what we got after the deadline last year you know it didn’t seem like he’ be a fringe player kind of thing and he’s
Huge and he played like he’s fast and he’s he’s so fast yeah and a great power forward like it just it was stunning to see that come out of there because we didn’t expect that at all at least I didn’t and um you know obviously the
Injury was was tough and uh he has such an impact I mean he started as like the third line Center and after like four games he was the first line center for the majority of the Season like until you know up until like injuries and things like that but um we’ll have to
Wait and see how that that shakes out the the other thing about Zada like and why we I want to hammer home this point a little bit that how just how good he has been because rubrick is is obviously going to get all of the attention and
Galanov made a lot of noise and just the way he plays is it’s noisy um Zada on a team that has a minus 42 goals against you know stats so they’ve they’ve given up 42 more goals than they’ve scored Ean Z is a plus3 as a 16-year old now plus
Minus is a very like just mess stat to look at right but they’re saying something that he’s the second on the team Sev is a plus four which is even more crazy to me um just because like how hard is for some a defenseman that’s
Playing as much as he is the fact that he’s a plus4 is is is nuts but like the fact that Zada as a 16-year-old is is a plus three on a team that is last in the league right now and a minus 42 goals
Against is just um if he like I said he starts scoring and that is that is massive and not to mention like we talk about rubber being big like he’s 6’2 as a 16y old like zada’s six foot like when we did the re game recap when you go
Down you see these guys like in the locker room and whatnot like in in the hallway when you’re in the media scrub and whatnot like he is big and it you know when when you see that guys get drafted they fill out like that’s not as
A 16-year-old you got more growing to do and uh they could have a really big talented Center core that is just really exciting it honestly is it’s it’s very very exciting so we’ll have to wait and see there but I just want to give Ethan a little bit more love there too because
He’s quietly put together a fantastic season yeah and I’d love to see because we talked about it how good it was last year to see that Kevin he Alex asadorian and Zack Lavo line they really jelled at the end of last year and we haven’t really got to see that on full display
This year when asadorian does come back did they did they put them together we’ll see again we’re not coaches so we don’t uh you know know uh what the best line combinations are we just kind of talk about what we see here uh from this
Uh this side of it but cam before we wrap up you know just general thoughts we got a five-game home stand coming up we’re going to be coming back to record after the trade deadline we’ll have GM West consort head coach Ben buo you know to talk about any moves that are made
And and kind of where the Outlook of the team is going to be for the rest of the season here as we finish off the the last 30 games or so but you know five-game home stand coming up big opportunity here for the Ice Dogs to uh
You know showcase on home iice what they can do and hopefully we start to see the Meridian Center like it was on New Year’s Eve you know have a have a really solid crowd and and get behind this this young exciting team I I think it’s like
It it’s kind of set perfectly where for whatever reason they have beaten teams where it just went like the the betting lines would have been nuts they kind of are let down against the teams that you think that they should win they’ve had those let down losses and the fact that they’re going
To have a very tough game against Owen Sound but you got to be like this team will be angry after that 10-2 loss because that was that was brutal and it the score did not reflect the game the third period just got away from them and
It’s a winnable game like Owen Sound is seventh in the Western Conference the western conference is so good this year though like it is dominating the East and West matchups um that said if they were to win that game and then you go into three straight very winnable games
Against Barry and Flint like you’ve I would love I would love this team to go on like a five game heater and get within like six points of a playoff spot it just because I would love to see them excited all the way throughout the confidence just as a just as a human
Aspect and a fan of the team right like you as as we’ve we we have more access obviously and and you see these kids and like you just want to want to see them do well and man I was losing it when they won in overtime much like they were
So I want to see more of that you know absolutely so we’ll be back in a couple of weeks talk about uh you know a lot more stuff with the Niagara Ice Dogs guys make sure to check out our game recaps that we’ll have a lot coming up
Next five games we’ll have game recap uh right after the game that usually released the morning after so uh basically the Midway point of the season for the Niagara Ice Dogs and we’ll see where they go from here uh but again there’s a lot of positive things to take
Away from you know what we’ve seen from them as of late against some very top teams and uh you know look forward to coming back so for cam Halbert my name is Bron Capo make sure you’re following the the podcast on X at Dogpound podcast thank you to those today watching on
Video version on YouTube thank you very much for that hit like hit subscribe smash that Bell if you enjoyed the episode today and thank you to those listening in on demand audio today go give us some love on whatever audio platform you choose to listen to us so
Until next time this has been the dog pound podcast the official podcast of your Niagara rice dogs proudly brought to you by Global Pet Foods where pets are undeniably part of the family on the armchair GM Sports Network and we’ll talk to you again very soon you’re listening to the armchair GM Sports Network
