Answers to comments...

Thank you to those who took the time to ask.  Obviously, I can't answer all but I will expand on those I am at liberty to...

1.  What have I learnt?  Learnt - great word.  I learned that even though the lads signed contracts detailing that they wouldn't date I couldn't control that.  16-18 year olds in that kind of set-up will find the time to chase...

2.  Mystery Brit signing?  Sorry.... no comment.

3.  Who impressed me the most?  Tough question.  They all impress me in different ways as they all have different talents and it's just too hard to pick.  

4.  What happens to the players who go to the EPL this year and how/why do we bring them along?  Well, this answer could drag on so I'll try to be as short as possible.  Minor hockey in Nottingham is good.  We want these "Lions" players to come up for some seasoning on 2-ways (ie. from the past:  Lacho, Nortz, Bully, Neil, Graham, etc.).   The idea is to get them as many games and into as many hockey experiences as possible.  Once they've developed to a level where we think they're not going to progress anymore at the Lions level we have a decision to make:  will we keep them to develop with us or try to get them full-time "pro" experience elsewhere.  We try to be sooo good to them in their development (bringing them to Canada and allowing them to practice, play games) that we hope when they develop into mature British professionals they will be loyal to the club.   The above players (excluding Nortz - Clarkie said he wasn't coming back unless Nortz was there and I quote, "If Nortz's IN - the Panthers WIN!") all left to play in the EPL for that reason, they aren't top-end enough to get regular playing time with a club as good as Nottingham.  They are definitely good enough to play a role at this level, for sure (as we saw at points last season), they just wouldn't have big enough roles to justify them sliding up and down our bench.  They can only develop so much in practice and need a good season of 1st or 2nd line playing experience at the pro (if you can call the epl pro) level.  They're all agreed to two-way arrangements and we intend on bringing them back at some point during the season.  We also plan to use the next crop of young British hopefuls (ie. Callum, Will, Ward, and Soar) as well at various stages of the season.  

So, I know this is a long answer but I hope a satisfying one.  

I will continue to post in a limited capacity though Traning Camp and question the players if they have an interest in doing something like this throughout the season.

Coach

Panthers have landed

Well, we're all back now.  There were some unique hiccups along the way with girl-friends good-byes, flights missed, girl-friends crying, re-bookings, gf's crying some more, over-baggage, crying, delays, crying by text, messaging, long drives home from London, etc. but we're in the country.  We're all pleased it's over.  Speaking with the lads, they enjoyed the experience immensely and praised the organization again for contributing to the trip but we're excited to see their families and start the new season with their new potential for success.

Coming to Canada they had two jobs:

1.  To become bigger, faster, stronger, and  smarter athletes

2.  To impress me

I would have to say that they succeeded on both accounts.  I am very proud of them for their efforts and dedication.  It was more physically demanding then anything they've experienced and they endured.  It was more detailed and mentally demanding as well and they progressed and learned.  Some took to the task faster but each improved a lot.  Their bodies matured, they learned what a "day's work" was.  

Coach

The final countdown!

Hey Will and Callum here!

We have just packed all our bags and we are now ready to depart the amazing teen ranch. This has been a great summer for us two as well as the rest of the lads, we have gained so much out of the seven weeks becoming better players and better people. Some of the skills learned here will be used for the rest of our lives. 

Most importantly, this trip couldn't have taken place if it wasn't for Corey so we would like to thank him for the great 7 weeks and all the time and effort he has put in to making this trip a trip of a lifetime! We would also like to thank Mel Stevens, Tim Stevens, Jim Ensome and our fellow Teen Ranch staff. 

We are all feeling the effects of the past seven weeks both physically and mentally and are looking forward to getting home to see our loved ones. We would both like to take this opportunity to thank our parents for making this trip happen, if it wasn't for them we wouldn't be here!

We are both looking forward to the upcoming season and will keep working to improve and look to make an impact with the Panthers in the near future!

Thanks for keeping up to date with the blog.

Best wishes

Callum and Will.

x

1 sleep to go!!!

Hello all,  Bully and Nortz We have just finished our last weekly, friday night general skate, alongside the excited campers. After just packing our hockey bags, we have both agreed that its strange seeing empty stalls after our kit being there for so long!

As this is our second time at teen ranch we both feel that we have grown mentally, physically and spiritually. We have been able to pass this onto the campers and other brits this year. On a great note a few of the boys have decided to begin to build a relationship with Christ just like us 2 and Laco did last year. 

Without a doubt both of our on and off ice fitness has come on leaps and bounds. We have been heavily involved  and lead, "chalk talks" which is a meeting where we bring all the kids together and talk about strategies and tactics, which has developed out hockey mind further.

We would like to thank Mel Stevens, Tim Stevens, Jim Ensom and Corey Neilson for all their support and teachings over the last 7 weeks. We would also like to thank all the teen ranch staff for being so welcoming and kind throughout all the 7 weeks of our stay. There has been aches and pains but more laughs and positives along the way, this is one trip we will never forget.

Thank you for all reading the blog, see you all next season. Boom!

Love Sam Bullas and Tom Norton

Hello to all the Panther enthusiasts!

Today Orangeville woke to lovely blue skies and a deliciously glowing sun! Today, for those who have followed our daily progress will know, is our last day on Teen Ranch, and our last day in Canada!

I would firstly like to thank Corey, Jim, and Mel for the personal support throughout the trip, and all the staff members here at the Ranch. I strongly feel my ability on the ice has improved a great deal without myself realizing it. I have developed my fundamental skills to a level by which I can now concentrate on the finer detailed skills of the game, and the more specific needs required to play at a higher level of hockey.

The Ranch has also developed my mental outlook on life. Whilst being here, I have dealt with situations which shouldn’t be present in my life at the age I currently am, so I am very grateful for the guidance of Corey, and the friends I have made here, which have all aided myself to become a better person, and a more capable individual.

It has been great to be part of this years Hockey Staff at the Ranch, and it is an experience I will most certainly never forget. I am very excited for the upcoming season in Nottingham, and am looking forward to following the progress of my fellow hockey companions.

Stay classy Orangeville!!

Peace, Josh Ward.

The End

  The end has come and i feel a bit sad to be leaving.  The time i have spent here with the ranch staff and the younger kids has been something i will never forget.  Having said that for the all questions about me proving my critics wrong is not why i am getting in good shape or why i came to the ranch.  The reason i am doing all of this is for my teammates, the organization and most of all my family/myself.  I admit i didn't put in 100% effort last year and apologize to the people who pay good money to watch me play for that, i cant change that now but everyone will see a different Jade in the near future.  

  Jade..

Feedback?

Hello, Corey here.  Just wondering if I could possibly get a few comments from anyone who follows.  I do keep track of the hits to this site and know that there have been more then 5000 - so some people are tracking us and I just wanted to see if there are any questions for the guys before they leave?  For me?  Is there anything we failed to report that you would like covered?

Is this kind of blog something that the team (players) should consider doing during the season?

Thanks.

End is near

Hello there.

Just got off the ice this morning after a great skate and realized that we are done in 3 days.  Although the time to leave back to our homes close i think everyone will miss the ranch a bit. All the boys and i really felt like we got something really positive out of our time here even more so for myself.  

On another note the boys and i are ready for the start of the season and training camp to start up, i myself am really excited to see all the guys in nottingham and to start the season i kno we all think will be a very successful one. To all the ranch staff and helpers and just everyone involved here i am thankful as are the rest of the boys for all you have done and will continue to do for us in the future..

cheers

jade

Wardoooo

Hello friends
We are in our last week, only 4 more sleeps!! Personally I have had a great experience here on the ranch, learning a lot about life and a lot about hockey. This trip will benefit my character on and off the ice, in good preparation for the upcoming season.
Today we were treated to a meal, paid kindly by the ranch. It was a nice oppurtunity to get all the players and staff involved with the hockey staff together.
For the past few days there have been some extreme storms! I have never seen so much wetness in my life!! It was very loud too.
Ross is vacating the ranch early on thursday, the rejection from a young girl several times has had a major emotional impact on him, so sadly due to serious heartache, he will be departing shortly! This is of course, only harmless banter.
And that is about it, we'll by flying in soon! Add the guys here on facebook, and check out the trip pictures, they are reasonably amusing.
Thanks, Josh Ward

haywood and lacho

hello everybody,

just a quick blog after our afternoon workout session. As you know we played on sunday evening against the junior A team which won the 4 on 4 tournament that Corey set up last weekend. After our netminder didnt turn up we had to quickly arrange a last minute replacement, the same guy that played for our losing team in the tournament! The game was pretty even throughout even though we held the lead right up untill the last few minutes in which they managed to bring the score back to 7-7 ( according to them!). We then played a golden goal overtime period which we finished off in under a minute with a shot from the point being tipped in by ross the super scot after a teriffic hit by Haywood in the corner for which he recieved no credit at all! Thanks corey!

Weve just started the last week here in Canada and the guys are starting to look forward to getting home and having their own beds. However, im sure Corey will still have lots of hard work for us to put in this week!

love, lacho and haywood x

BlueJays 5 - Oriels 7

It was a great time had by all.  All the boys smashed into my two vehicles and we headed off to Toronto.  We'd love to thank our sponsor, AMJ Campbell, for the tickets...  I heard the fellas picked up a 65 year old "ball bunny" to sit with as they went their own way whilst Cade and I went ours.  We had a different experience as Cade got a baseball and was really excited.  The boys thought the whole experience good (the Skydome was open so they could see the stars with the CN tower looming overhead) and when asked they likened the game's pace to Cricket.  

The Jays had a 3-0 lead early but blew it for the big Oriel comeback.  I strive to teach them daily and that loss was yet another practical learning experience to which they promised not to let that happen to them this year!

Off now to kill some Junior Super-Stars!

Hey Will, Callum and Soarsy here.

We have all enjoyed a relaxed weekend letting the muscles recover from a hard week.

Tonight we are taking on the team that won the tournament last week, this time however all the British guys will be on the same team so hopefully we will be able to beat them.  We are all looking forward to this as we want to prove to them that we are just as good as them! We now have less than a week left over here and all have mixed emotions about going home. We are all looking forward to getting home and seeing family and friends but will all miss the hockey and people we have met over here. As this is our last week the intensity will be high and we will put all of our effort into it. We are all looking forward to the upcoming season!

Cyaa

PS - It's the team above that we're going to thrash tonight!

Hey guys jade and steve here, i hope everybody is well. This week has been a busy week for the Hockey players, we have been on the ice four times so far, some of the younger guys we have been coaching have also been practising with us. They have shown a huge amount of progression throughout the week which is very good to see.  The workouts are getting alot more intense as we are getting ready for the start of training camp in England.  Talking with all the guys we are very excited to be getting back home for the start of training camp.  

On a good note all the guys are going to be going to a Toronto Blue Jays game tonight for a little break and some fun.  Other then that nothing much new here in the ranch hope to see all of you in a couple weeks time..\

cheers

Steve and Jade

Lacho again

hey everyone, this is my second post of the trip following a pretty quiet week at teen ranch. All of the boys were tired out after the tournament at the weekend and we were all happy to hear that we wouldnt have to get up early for the usual 6am monday morning start! Also after putting all of the hockey campers into one group for the week we were able to take the 9am session for our ice time which we all preferred to the 7am which we have been doing for the past 5 weeks! All the guys have been putting alot of effort in this week both on and off the ice, and i think that we have all enjoyed having Jade around the camp with us.

We have managed to get ourselves tickets to go and watch the Toronto Blue Jays play against the New York Yankees in Toronto on friday evening which should give they guys a nice break and also be a good experience for us all! im guessing that it will be a little different from going to watch a football (soccer) match as we are all used to! Hopefully we wont get lost on the way back like last time.

thats all for now,

Lacho

Matt Haywod

Hey everybody..

This is my first post on the blog since I've been here. ( I couldn't avoid corey any longer) 

 

This weekend all the lads took part in a tournament and we were split up evenly throughout the teams. Everyone did really well with steve, will and callum making it to the finals.. However me and lacho were the only ones not to progress through to the semis out of the English boys (and Coach)... but we are blaming the team not ourselves of course...

The week ahead contains 13-18 year old campers so the standard of hockey will hopefully be better and from the first session this morning it also looks like they are keen to listen and learn from what you have to say.

The lads are starting to find it harder and harder to get up out of be in a morning because we are so exhausted... everybody is going to be stiff in the morning because we had to run "the hill" today which has made everybody unable to walk or sit down.. this made lunch time funny as all other staff members were laughing at us trying to sit to eat our food!

Personally so far I have found this trip very helpful I've learned a lot of new things and plays off Corey and other guys to make me a smarter hockey player..

Away from the hockey side of things the atmosphere between the guys that are here is really good, everyone getting along, encouraging each other and also the banter is awesome! I bet the canadians+Australians thought they were sarcastic!

Anyway bye for now from the Scoffer,   

Matt

Space Connects lose in the Final

Sunday was a jam-packed day for hockey and the Brits shone brightly.  Steve Lee, Tom Soar, Callum Bowley, and Will Weldon progressed into the finals by an excellent defensive display in the semi-final morning game.  Jade and Ross lost this game due to some missed empty nets by some of our youngsters.  Ross has be superb and improves every day.  When I asked Jade quietly  what he thought of him he said Ross has some offensive upside as well which I was encouraged about.  Jade really has been head and shoulders above all players in the tourney and is now a real force (minus the 15 pounds he has dropped from last season).  Between he and Ross, they have dismantled their opposition in the first 3 games but today just couldn't find the back of the net.  4 of their original players failed to show so Lacho, Haywood, and myself joined the losing cause - again, Goaltending was unspectacular.  I was considering dressing up a scare-crow in Goalie equipment for a moment.

The other semi-final pitted Bully, Nortz, Soar, and Wardy against the group of juniors.  I'm so proud of their performance.  They stood up so well for themselves and never gave up an inch - a credit to their country.  I even heard some, "why don't you go back to England" remarks from a frustrated bunch of "so-called" superstars.  Wardy eventually got kicked out of the match for stick-work (it was a minor infraction but the ref wanted to make a point that he didn't want the game to escalate into violence).  Sam drove the net so hard and showed a much improved "presence" and mean-streak which encouraged him to present in his games this season.  By this he created a ton of space for himself to use his skills.  Nortz was composed on the puck as usual and has an abundance of skill for a young defender.  I spoke on Soar yesterday and he was good again.

In the finals, Steve Lee proved to be a dominant presence on the blue-line.  He bumped a guy early to show he was there to play and when that player responded Steve dropped his gloves and was prepared to "defend" himself.  His opponent cowered and Steve had mercy on him.  Other than that Steve proved to be more than capable at making strong out-let passes to his forwards.  In the end, the Juniors were too much on the day as Steve, Callum, Soar, and Will just didn't have enough of a supporting cast to compete.  The other guys on their team were AAA 16 year olds and just not up to the task.

We're looking forward to next Sunday and a potential re-match against the Juniors.  All the Brits will play this time and I sincerely don't like their chances against our boys!  So, we shall see next week but to be this confident now going into the match against some of Canada's best shows just how good of a group has assembled here which bodes well for the Panthers in the upcoming seasons.

PS - My son helped me to name all the teams in the tourney.  Most rhymed with the team sponsor and when I asked him what to call my Neilson Athletics team he replied, "Space Connects".  A great name...

PSS - I know I failed to mention all the boys individually but I promise you - they were good and notable too.  I'm just tired and my fingers hurt...

Weekend recap

Hi its the two Toms here (Nortz and Soarsey) currently spinning on the bikes after a tough game against a Junior A team. The result ended up 7-4 against us, but we put in a good solid performance. The game was extremely intense and a lot of penalties were called. Having a goal disallowed after a suposed high stick from our player which instead came off his shoulder and deflected into there net, beating their OHL goalie.
The weekend has been a great success with high scoring games and the British players scoring the majority of the goals. Due to the shortage of players on some teams, players ended up playing more than their fair share and guested for almost every team. Corey especially lol!
So after a successful weekend its back to the hard routine with on ice training starting tuesday morning again.
Nortzy and Soarsey

Weekend Tourney Round Robin Results

So, I'm a bad loser.  Something I always knew but has become more apparent over the latter part of my life.  My team is out - crap!  We got pumped 18-11 in the first game (to Bully, Nortz, Ward, and Soar) with a notable lack of defense.  We organized a little better for Saturday morning and won 8-4 -- good!  Now, if you've ever participated in a tourney and been in a 1 win-1 loss situation you know that advancing to the semi-finals sometimes is hard to predict.  You have to win your last game and maybe another team has to lose theirs.

So, me being a bad loser, I try to make it so the team who has to lose does!  The team we beat 8-4 needed a guy so I inserted myself (and scored a couple goals) to try to get them on their way to sucess - boom - they won.   Now, all we have to do is win our next game...  GOALTENDING???????????  Honestly, our goalie is a great guy but was just poop on this night.  We lose 12-11.  Neilson out!

But, the boys have been successful.  Impressing all with their skills and speed.  Competing well with OHL and NCAA guys (approx. their age) as well as a couple pros.  The tournament has been a huge success.  I had a chance to see the older guys play in Montreal and it has been my pleasure to see the four young fellas play.  From the stands (because they were in a different division then my team) I got to see Callum and Will play some very good hockey.  They compete very hard and each has a unique set of skills that make them effective and have managed to qualify their team to the semi-finals.  I actually played against Josh Ward and Tom Soar and saw first hand some very good things.  I felt Josh was the best player on the ice in his Friday's match against our team.  He drives the net so well and has a good willingness to turn the corner on the opposing Defenseman.  Tom Soar, is different - what a shot - and is quite streaky.  I feel when he grows into his big frame he will use his immense potential more and I will be encouraging him to consistently offer his top-end skill.

The older fellas have all been good and have made notable impressions on me.  I will follow up tomorrow after the semi-finals and finals with more news but for now... I'm tired and disappointed to have lost my own tourney - despite my best efforts to fix a win.

Asked by someone in an NHL Central Scouting Interview when I was 17:  "would you cheat to win Corey?"

Answer, "Definitely!  I'd trip my 70 year old Mom to win a race."

Hey, it's Callum and Will here.

This weekend Corey has managed to organise a tournement at our home barn on the ranch. The level of hockey varies with players from the Ohl, Junior A, NCAA, Junior B, AAA and pro's. Our teams have all been mixed together to give us the oppurtunity to play with and against diferent classes of players.

We are all gaurenteed at least three games with the oppurtunity of playing in the semi and final. All of the Brit boys have put up a good account of themselves with not one player looking out of place. 

Today we have played a game against Rob and Matt's team with our team pulling home with a 11-6 win. We are all having a great weekend and it is nice to finally play some competitive games. With the tournement being 4 on 4 there is alot of space on the ice and we are seeing the benefits of our training over the past 5 weeks. 

Yesterday we went on a trail ride on the horses which was something new for us all, this was a lot of fun with plenty of funny moments along the way. 

It's good to have Jade with us for these last two weeks, as there never seems to be a dull moment with him in the locker room! He looks in great shape for the upcoming season.

With only two weeks left, we are looking to utilise every minute of training and become the best players we can.

Cyaaaa

HELLLLLLLOOOOO

hellllllllo everybody!!!  Jade here in the T dot at the Ranch finally..   my flight was delayed for 2 hours so i got 3 hours sleep so i am not in a good mood at all  ..  hahah  Anyway i am very excited about the upcoming season and would like to just say that i am coming back this season despite all the rumors and such...  i love nottingham and the fans that support me..  

With that all taken care of now, very excited about being at the ranch with the young boys and hopefully i can keep up with them..  haha..   not much more to really say other then tom norton didnt even say hi to me when i got here...  i guess he is being a little baby and says he is sick ..  \

\

well look forward to seeing you all at the start of the season...   talk to ya later

heyoooo

Bully here just checking in, I cant believe how fast this last month has gone, its literary flown by! I Know everyone has been saying it, but personally I am having an amazing time. I feel much fitter both on and off the ice and cant wait to start this season. On a negative, there is a lot of illness spreading through the english boys. This is probably because of the sleeping arrangements and too much close contact!

Jade arrives tonight which will be good for the whole group because his qualities will push everyone harder and up the skill level. This weekend we have a tournament at teen ranch arranged by corey, which will be similar to Montreal.  It's a non-contact tournament which doesn't really suit my game as I class myself as a "bump and grind" player. But it should be great to improve my skill level. So only 17 days left, cant wait to see my family and friends again soon.

Samuel George Ralph.

Just one of those days

Hey all, I'm back again to give you my take on today's events. 

I'm settling into camp well getting to know all the guys well and having a really good time here. Today wasn't quite a typical day first off we have been 3 guys down both days this week with Nortz, Bouli, Stevie and Haywood all ill with a little bug going around their dorm room.

 

Secondly I've just finished running the block for my second time today. The block is roughly a 5k run around the block funnily enough starting and finishing at the rink but taking in 3 pretty tough climbs on the way! Usually it's a once every two days event for Me, Corey and Jim ( a coach at camp) so as usual we set of this morning. However the rest of the guys had to do it as there dry land session this-afternoon and me been a keen no-brainer thought it would be a good idea to go again. Note to self extremely dumb thing to do. 

So as everyone should know by now we (Corey) ha is hosting a tournament at our barn this weekend here on the ranch and all the guys are getting pumped. We've had 2 weeks since we last played competitively and are all training hard to put in a very good account of ourselves against what is looking like some quality opposition. Who knows hopefully well win the tourney.

Anyway off for dinner and a little phone-call home to the loved ones. 

Take care 

Ross 

Hi everyone, its Thomas Soar here, currently finding it quite hard to type from the wrist curls of today's upper body workout!

 Today we got back into our daily routine of getting up at 6:15 and on the ice at 7 o'clock for practice. Today was a good, high intensity session ranging from executing the basic stride to some hitting drills. Then up to the ranch for breakfast, then back down for off ice with Rena, then back on the ice coaching this week's girl hockey camp. After lunch we had a great session of devotions run by our very own Tom Norton, magnificent story teller! Then back down to the rink for a tough upper body workout. As we are into the last three weeks, the intensity is slowly getting higher as Corey turns up the heat day by day. 

 Getting up this morning was quite hard after the great weekend we all had. Saturday saw us all take the hour long trip to the Eaton Centre, downtown Toronto. Thank-you Dad for letting me buy a few t-shirts! After us all emptying the shops we headed out into the main strip for something to eat. Choosing the Hard Rock Cafe, we all sat down and had a great time. 

 I'd like to thank Robert Lachowicz' and Matt Haywood's heroics last night after the fire scare! After Matt spent too long chatting instead of getting in the shower, the alarm was triggered and we all jumped out of bed to see what was going on. So we walk through all the steam into the other room to find Matt waving a towel at the alarm and Lacho holding a fan up to it. Great job guys! 

 Beyond all the hard work i can speak on behalf of everyone here that we are really enjoying ourselves, along with becoming better players and people. I can slowly see myself developing the skills i need to carry on the sport i love. Stay updated! Thanks, Thomas Soar

Weekly recap

It was a busy week with lots of things happening.  As a group, the boys started to learn some more advanced technical lessons on the ice.  We covered things like defensive zone coverage, break-outs, neutral zone regrouping, and even some powerplay stuff.  The fellas took to it pretty well and have proven to be good learners - even at 7 in the morning.

One noteworthy incident involved the guys coming back from town after their nightly ice-cream run.  I've entrusted one of my cars to them so they can have a little bit of freedom and they finally had an incident:  

To set the stage Lacho, the trustworthy driver, lost his wallet (with his drivers liscence) last weekend in Montreal.  On the road Wednesday night they got pulled over by the Canadian Police.  The reason:  one of my break lights were out.  

The officer asks, "Liscence, registration and insurance please?"  

Answer:  AAAHHHHH!!!!

He has none - just a car loaded with 7 other 18 year olds!  Soooo, with no documentation to prove he's liscenced to drive, insured to drive, or hasn't in fact stolen this car there is a problem.  

Now, in addition to the lack of documents they only have my British mobile number and the cop won't call that number from his phone.  The boys eventually reach me (luckily at 11pm my phone is still on) I identify the Reg plate and the situation is averted.

Lacho was a tad bit quiet the next day... and I've got my brake lights fixed!  Sorry kiddo...

Corey

What a pleasure it is to work with the 10 hockey players from Britian along with coach Corey.  It has been an honour for me to do the off-ice, one hour training sessions on Wednesdays.  My goal is to give them an all round workout ensuring that every part of their bodies are stretched, challenged and strengthened.  I also challenge their minds as well by throwing in some exercises that push them to keep going even when they feel like giving up.  My stomach muscle session is great for that.  I love how they scream when they are hurting.  LOL

As a student of Judo for 41 years and as a management trainer and motivator I get to work with many people at many levels.  My website (www.dymanmgt.com) will give you some details about more of what I do. 

I hope to visit England in the near future and work with Corey and the Panthers on things like teamwork, goal setting and a few other things.

Keep up the good work.

Fred

Hey everyone, its Josh Ward here! Things over here are going really well, personally I feel I'm becoming a more intelligent hockey player, and a stronger person off the ice also. The hockey staff have made some real good friends with the campers, and we are all enjoying the daily camp fire at night with the campers along with the night-time game that occurs daily also. 

Last weekend the older guys played a tournament in Montreal which I'm sure you've all heard about, they all came back pretty tired which shows how much work they put it! The weekend for the younger players such as myself was reasonably quiet, but it was certainly nice to relax for a day or two before being back on the ice on monday morning again. On Monday's session, the younger guys worked on a lot of skating and stamina which included Parachute training.  Corey attached a chute to us and made us do laps, and more laps, and more laps until our legs, lungs, and bodies were dead - one guy even threw up!  The older guys enjoyed a lay in!

Anyway, we're off to complete our weekly judo session now, thanks Josh

Hi everybody. Steve Lee here. Hope all is well and you guys are looking forward to the upcoming season. Just finished our daily workout (TIRED!). Me and the guys are really getting in the swing of things, ready for the season that quickly approaches. The weekend that has just passed was awesome, sure you have all heard we travelled 6 hours to Montreal to play with and against players that play at the highest levels of hockey, both in Europe and North America. Was a great experience. Which also gave me a chance too meet up with a couple of team mates that i will be playing alongside next season, such as Bruce Richardson and Dominic. Both are in great shape for the 09/10 season, and are looking good which you guys will be glad to here.

Not long at all until I meet everybody, really looking forward to it, enjoy the rest of your summers.

Steve Lee

Montreal Tourney Pic

Left to right:

Dominic D'Amour, Marty Gascon, Ross Dalgleish, Matt Haywood, Corey Neilson, Bruce Richardson, Steve Lee, Tom Norton, Sam Bullas, and Robert Lachowicz

Montreal recap by Nortz!

Well it's the day after getting back from Montreal and the 6 of us are all feeling the effects of the 8 hour trip back.  So, as I am writting this most of them are in bed sleeping and it's only 3pm!!! The trip was a great experience for us all because we will never get the chance again to play against players of that quality doing the summer rules, which means there is no contact so there was a lot dangling and speed which was amazing to see because they were FAST!! but I feel all of us kept up really well and worked hard, and we even came close to beating a team but then i think they turned it on a bit towards the end, but it was a real eye opener to see how good you have to be to get to the show. We also got to see Bruce Richardson out there which was great.  We spent the whole weekend with him and had a really good time, he looks ready to go for next season already he wants all 3 cups next year!! so lets hope that will happen. We also got to see the new centre Corey signed and he looks really good so all the fans are in for a treat with him. I was D partners with dom damour and he is huge!!! so thats about it for now speak soon Tom 

Satuday's performances...

Improvement!

Bottom line was a morning loss of 9-3 to a good young group of NHL 1st and 2nd rounders.  A different line-up today by coach Bruce as well.  Up front on the second line was Haywood, Bullas, and myself.  We finished the day's play even meaning we got scored on once and we scored one of our team's goals.  Our forward line did very well and created a number of very good chances:  Bullas found himself alone in the slot twice and Haywood had a break-away.  I missed one of those too.  These two young men were excellent line-mates and I would say that they impressed all.  On the blue-line Tom Norton stepped in and did an excellent job alongside former first round NHL pick (12th overall) Mario Laroque.  Nortz also got a chance to play with former Panther Steve Pelletier and new signing Dominic D'Amour.  Dominic is in fantastic form and is shaping up to be a dominant defender in our league capable of contributing in a LOT of ways on the ice.

Our third and final game was really fun!  Bully sat this one out - but only because he was the only guy to play the first two... We ended up losing this one too but it was a very tight affair with them getting a couple goals in the last minute to beat us 8-5.  Playing against NHL 35 goal scorer and captain of the Buffalo Sabres, Jason Pominville, was a great experience for all.  We played against Alex Burrows too of the Vancouver Cannucks and he and I got to exchange a couple of glances on the ice.  Apparently I was trying too hard for summer hockey... superstar!!!  I'm proud to say that my buddy Bruce stole the show with 2 goals and an assist.  Ross Dalgleish put in very strong performance on the puck and notched himself goal and assist.  Rounding up the tally were Matt Haywood with a goal and myself with an assist.  Lacho and Steve Lee also put in strong performances and I was so pleased with everyone's effort and confidence on the puck.  It was also my great privilege to see our new star centre Marty Gascon play - he's gonna be GOOD!  Wow, any one of my scoring wingers are going to be in for an unbelievable season playing with this guy.

But I would have to say the best part of the trip for me was taking orders from Bruce.  The role reversal was fun and since it was his show I had to do as I was told.  I'm surprised the little midget didn't make me fill up the water bottles too.  I jest, he was an unbelievable host for all of us and the boys couldn't thank him enough for this glorious opportunity.  The only shame was that I didn't have a bigger car to bring Will, Callum, Soar, and Wardy.  Hopefully, they will get this chance in the future.

Coach

Ross Dalgleish

Hey all, well my first few days as a panther and what a couple of days it has been! Arrived in Teen Ranch just in time for dinner on Wednesday night. Got up with the guys on Thursday at 6 for my first full day at the ranch. The day starts at 7 on the ice for two hours which straight of a long flight its just what you need, the guys here are in good shape from there first 3 weeks so catching up is going to be my goal for next week. Then its coaching for the next couple of hours were helping out with the kids who are all between 8-13 years old this week which make for some funny moments on the ice. Lunch on the ranch then back to the rink for a grueling gym session ten a video session with the kids. 

Night time here on the ranch is a pretty exciting time for the guys and the kids. Thursday night we played a game of hide and seek on the ranch with  all the leaders hiding in the woods and the kids seeking us out. The twist tho is they catch us and walk us out a plank into the freezing cold lake. One girl all of under 4 foot got a little excited and pushed Haywood in at the shallow end cutting his leg and foot on the rocks hen she just strolled of with a big smile on her face and Haywood is still trying to dodge the chirps and jokes 3 days on. 

So up to date now we're in Montreal this weekend playing in a tournament with the entire cast of professional hockey players in the city from the NHLer's to the top imports in Europe last year. The guys are all looking forward to our next game, playing no contact hockey with this level of players has defiantly been a good measuring stick for us and where we want to be.

Anyway till next time, I'm looking forward to getting to Nottingham and down to work with a title winning team.

Ross 

So... we lost 8-1

Well, I must say that I've had better starts to tournaments but when all is said and done we weren't "that" unpleased.  There were, after all, extenuating circumstances (meaning, good excuses to the layman).  The lads and I drove for a solid 6 cramped hours, ate our pre-game meal at the Fifth Wheel Truck Stop (which, by the way, is my old man's favorite place for a road-side meal - but not a traditional pasta 'n chicken pre-game), checked into our hotel, had a swim, and then got crushed by a great team of Italian National players...

To their credit, the Italians were fast, had played together as a unit in the "Reebok" summer league in Montreal, and simply were a good bunch of players.  Sam Bullas shone brightest tonight while Bruce and Dominic looked good.  I failed to get on the score-sheet except at the end in the "shoot-out for beers" where my patented back-hander went right where it was supposed to and deposited the goalies water-bottle on the ice... we lost that event too!

The guys (Bully, Lacho, and Dags up front with Lee on D) looked fine but in truth they played a little apprehensive and convinced themselves that they were out-classed.  I hope they learn from this lesson as they can compete and will compete.

Tomorrow at 1pm we're up against a group of NHL drafted 1st and 2nd round picks - all young guys about their age so it will be a fantastic measuring stick for them.  I can tell that some are pump (not pumped - cause we're in Montreal - and Bruce swears to me that pump is correct English here).

Trip to Montreal

Corey here, just a quick note to update everyone on the tourney we're going to.  Logistics have proven to be the toughest thing to sort out so far.  The plan was to bring all the 18's plus our Mystery Brit (MB) to the tourney to compete but I couldn't figure out how to fit 8 into my 6/7 seater vehicle.  Included in the hopeful roster were:  Bully, Lacho, Nortz, Lee, Haywood, Mystery Brit, Cade Neilson (my 8 year old son) and I to fit into my Buick Rendezvous.  

So, this evening it was crunch time - serious crunch time... and the boys and I came up with this cozy little plan...

Back Row:  The two skinny midgets (Lacho and Nortz) into the back with Cade squeezed in between.

Middle Row (bit more room):  Bully, Haywood, and Lee

Up front:  MB and Coach

We did it!  Or did we?  Equipment?  Tabarnac!  Going to rent a trailer in the morning - solved!

So in case you want to check our progress here's the website:  http://www.stanleykeg.com/

Coach out!

Will Weldon

hello.

I am Will Weldon, last season i captained Nottingham under 16's as well as playing for the Under 18's. Me and Callum were only 15 last season so were not old enough to play for the Lions. I am having a great time here at teen ranch and enjoying every minute of ice time (almost). 

Yesterday during the afternoon work out, all of the boys were made to look silly by a judo instructor named Fred. After putting us through an intense workout he decided to show us some Judo throws. After throwing all of the lads it was my go to be thrown, i then landed badly on my knee and had to miss this mornings on ice session much to the amusement of the others. It's nothing too serious though and will be doing this afternoons workout. 

As well as hockey stuff we are having a great time, Stevie loves horror movies so we went out to block buster yesterday, borrowing our American buddy Arena's membership card for blockbuster and rented some films. Lacho drove us there now he understands the concept of driving on the Right (wrong) side of the road. We also all ordered a pizza as a treat for our tremendous efforts....The weather has been good over the last week hitting around 30 everyday so that is a bonus.

Those of us who aren't going to Montreal this weekend (the younger guys) are looking at going down to Toronto to visit the hall of fame where Ron Ellis has offered us a V.I.P tour.

As everyone else has said we are having an amazing time! I would also thank my Mum and Dad for giving me this chance and give thanks to teen ranch for providing such great hospitality.

Will Weldon.

Lacho

Hey guys, we are currently half way through our third week here at teen ranch in Orangeville and me and the guys are starting to feel the effects of our training both on and off the ice. this morning we had a tough 7 am session on the ice but was the first session in which everybody was back up to speed after the end of last season, everybody seemed to feel good, push themselves and also look good out on the ice. This week we are taking part in dry land training with the kids (which we are coaching) in the morning then our own personal gym sessions/ running  in the afternoon. We have now organized a professional black belt in judo to come in every wednesday to run a session in the gym with us which is lots of fun but still very hard work. Its nice to have a change and do something different! On monday night myself and Stevie Lee found ourselves being taken to Toronto to pick up one of Corey's cars which a friend of Corey's had borrowed, not knowing that we would be left to get back to Orangeville by ourselves! We didnt do a too bad job only getting lost twice one the way back and the journey only taking an hour and a half! For the weekend coming up, 5 or 6 of us will be taking the 5 hour trip up to Montreal to play in a tournament with Bruce Richardson in which we will be playing against some NHL class players, me and the guys are looking forward to this opportunity very much and think it ill be a great experience for us all.

Hopefully there will be more news soon,

Robert Lachowicz.

Hello its Sam Bullas here most know me as bully, just a quick post from out here in sunny Orangeville Canada. Personally I am having a great time, all the boys have fitted right in and the biggest problem so far is, who is the mystery "wee on the seat" guy which is driving Corey insane! We are staying in the coach house which is like 5 star accommodation and even have our own maid, who is in fact Tom Norton. He is that tidy I don't know where half my belongings are because there stashed away everywhere, however on the positive side I don't have to make my bed in the morning!! My fitness and strength is improving day by day, but I cant wait to get home and see all my family and friends again. Most of you Nottingham supporters probably know that I have signed for Swindon Wildcats next season, however I am on a 2-way with Panthers so hopefully I will see you all again sometime, in this up and coming season. Blog soon.

Sam Bullas

Callum Bowley

Hi everybody,

Callum Bowley here at Teen Ranch attending the hockey camp throughout the summer. I'm currently 15 years of age but on the 29th of July while i'm over in Canada it is my birthday =). Here at teen ranch it's enjoyable with lots of encouragement from the staff which is good in order for us to experience what the ranch has to offer.

Week three already! Started smoothly waking up at 6:15 walking down to the rink with the sun shining for our on ice training. This week entails of three on ice sessions a day and two dryland sessions a day, also this is a normal day what we would do. Also, the children who we are coaching arrived Sunday for their own personal intense training and dryland. It's very tough, and everybody is always kept on their toes doing something. As from this all of us are feeling the effects of the dryland and training. 

Callum

Coach Summary of Week 2

The boys are starting to feel the effects of their 2 weeks of physical training.  I have been impressed by some player's efforts and skill sets.  Credit to some previous coaching by the likes of Martin Ethridge, Matt Bradbury and Mike Urquart.

The start of the on-ice program is usually an eye opener for most but they've taken to it pretty well.  I'm a big believer in hockey fundamental so we spent the first two weeks focusing on the basic skills that for whatever reason aren't hammered into players (Brits and Canadians alike) from an early age.  Things like re-learning how to do cross-overs and the stride mechanics are basic skills that a few of these guys just haven't had specialty training in.  Even in our Pro practices (both last season and the season before where I assisted under Mike Ellis and contributed to practice development) in Nottingham we always return to the basics.  This is much to the chagrin of Sean McAslan who pretends he's 4 years old and learning to skate every time I do a drill that he used to do in hockey school when he was young.  But, these fundamentals (like being able to turn and stop both directions at break-neck speed) really help in a pinch as the game is so fast and players are shifting all over the place where the difference between success and failure is minimal.

The older fellas like Lacho, Bullas, and Norton have the advantage of knowing what it's all about and Steve Lee already has a solid set of fundamental skills.  The 16's and 17's (Bowley, Ward, Soar, and Weldon) are surprisingly good and I envision them kitting up for the Panthers at some point during the season so they get that experience - I'm sure it will be deserved.  Matt Haywood, a good friend of Sam Bullas, is a very solid player who most in Nottingham won't have on their radar yet but looks like he may be a very usable player in the future.  

I haven't been disappointed yet by anyone and I hope the coming 5 weeks are the same... I intend on cranking up the intensity a little next week and hope the boys are enjoying the Saturday and Sunday of rest they've been given.

I will round up their progress weekly...

Corey

Josh Ward

Hey Guys, my name is Josh Ward, I'm 17 and currently ice for the Nottingham Under 18s team, along with the Nottingham Lions ENL team. My second week here at Teen Ranch has been really enjoyable, and most definitely beneficial for my hockey game, on and off the ice. The intensity is steadily increasing week by week, as fatigue starts to slowly kick in also at times, the workouts off the ice are becoming tougher and more strenuous.  But this will only make our characters stronger and take our fitness capabilities to a higher level. On wednesday this week, we replaced an off ice workout with a Judo class, which involved a number of core exercises and counter body weight exercises which many of us had never seen before, this certainly tested us and made us all sweat more than three periods of hockey! The earliness of the morning practices have now become a part of life, as every is now flying through the on ice drills and skating real hard. This week also saw us all face 'the block'. This is a circuit run around the Ranch, which has a reputation to be challenging. I made the mistake of not taking the correct right turning back towards the ranch, so carried on along a long stretch of road adding an extra couple of kilometres to my run! The mistake will not be made twice! Anyway, we will all keep you up to date.

Thanks Josh Ward

Tom Soar

Hi everyone, I'm Tom. Im here along with  Corey for the ongoing summer camp at Teen Ranch. I played last year for the Nottingham under 16s, 18's and Lions. Which was a great season with the under 16s  winning the national finals and the lions winning the play-offs. 

When i was asked if i wanted to come here i felt honored that i have this privilege to help me develop not just as a hockey player, but as a person too. 

After just completing my GCSE's and being one of the younger three here, I thought it would be hard being away for this long, but it really isn't. Everyone here is so friendly, the place is beautiful and we have all settled in great, so everything is just fine.  

A typical day includes being on the ice 2/3 times a day, which includes a morning session in full-kit and two sessions coaching where we help younger players develop their skills too.

Yesterday we were up at 6:15, on the ice from 7-9 and then at 9:30 we did a run of, "The block". Jim said that we cant be hockey players unless we beat him, which we all did so no worried there! Then after lunch we had devotions, another ice session coaching, and then an interesting judo fitness session, which I think surprised everyone just how hard it actually was! 

I'm really enjoying my time here at Teen Ranch. This will give me that extra stride that I need on other players for next year so the benefits are endless! Keep updated with the blog to see what we are up to each day. 

Tom 

 

Tom Norton

Hi, we just got off the ice for our morning training session which was 7am till 9am so me and all the guys are pretty tired from the early start! But still in good spirts and enjoying all the ice time as ice time is hard to come by back in Nottingham. Am enjoying my 2nd year at the ranch and its good to see all the faces at the ranch as i saw last year, and also meeting some new ones and making new friends, but it is soooo different here to England everybody always says hello even if you dont know them and thats been quite a shock to the new guys who have come with us this year as in England you mostly get dirty looks of people if you say hi to them.  We're just so appreciative of this opportunity to be involved as part of the Panther Academy and of the club's contribution to our costs and travel.  This sound like a very polished an official blog but don't worry... I'll get better as I go hopefully the same way I hope to get better each time I step on this ice so I'm ready to be an effective Panther this season!

Cheers,

Nortz

PS - I'm hoping Coach gets a new photo up, one where my eyes are actually opened!

Steve Lee

Hi everybody, 

I am 18 years old and really looking forward to the upcoming season in the panthers uniform. As you all know a group of the guys including myself are currently taking part in the Nottingham Panthers summer hockey academy with corey to get a head start for the season that follows. Last season I played in the EPL for the Guildford Flames, which I enjoyed. One problem being the rinks we had to play in were certainly not the best around, so it will be great too play in nice rinks again this year, especially in front of the panthers enthusiastic home crowd. As of now the experience of the Nottingham Panthers summer academy has been very different to an everyday hockey camp in England, so far we have been on the ice almost everyday with a variety of off ice dry land sessions. All of which are putting me in good stead for the upcoming panthers camp. Day by Day my hockey skills are improving dew to the one to one coaching from Corey. Me and the guys are really enjoying it here, looking forward to seeing you all. 

Steve 

Recap of the first week.

Hello everybody, Its the whole gang here, we have all settled in really well and everybody has been very welcoming and we have all met and made lots of new friends already. We have just finished our first week which was the first week of the summer camps, it was the father and son/daughter week. Despite the 6am wake ups the first week ran very smoothly and flew by. As the fathers are big donators to the ranch the food was of a very high quality. We all met NHL legend Mike Gartner and hockey hall of famer Rocket Ron Ellis. We have all been into town and bought our dietary supplements and some have bought equipment (Wardy bought the whole shop!!!). So overall the week has been very productive and everybody has had a great first week.

From all the lads (Left to right standing: Matt Haywood, Tom Norton, Sam Bullas, coach, Tom Soar, Rob Lachowicz, and Steve Lee.  Kneeling:  Josh Ward, Will Weldon, and Callum Bowley)

blog soon.

First Blog Post

   Hi! This is Corey Neilson writing, and this blog is all about the Nottingham Panthers Summer Hockey Academy at Teen Ranch Canada, in conjunction with Neilson Athletics Inc. In the coming days and weeks I and my pupils will update this site, explaining what has been learned at the academy and what we're up to in general. I hope you enjoy!