Leaders of the pack
MONCTON, N.B. —The hockey Huskies are playing follow the leader. They believe their leadership group — led by team captain Brent Twordik and assistants Keegan McAvoy and Curtis Austring — is second to none.
Each of the trio is a former captain in the Western Hockey League. There are six Huskies in total who were once WHL captains: Twordik (Swift Current Broncos), McAvoy (Kamloops Blazers), Austring (Regina Pats), Brett Dickie (Prince George Cougars), Stephen Mann (Saskatoon Blades) and rookie Myles Zimmer (Prince George).
All but Zimmer have played in the past two University Cup national championship tournaments. This year’s event — which kicks off 11 a.m. Thursday with the No. 2-seeded University of Saskatchewan Huskies playing the Atlantic runner-up University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds — is the third for 11 Huskie players. It’s the proverbial hat-trick. The leadership has become so good that U of S head coach Dave Adolph admits that the Dogs often run on auto pilot or cruise control.
“Some years ago I sort of empowered the team to the leaders to basically run the team,” says Adolph. “It was (sports psychology consultant) Ralph Schoenfeld’s idea. Anything I have a concern with, or an issue, or if I want to change the forecheck or systems, I would always talk to whoever first.
“We used to meet every Monday with captains and go over the week or rehash the week before to try and get the program operating that way. These last three years, we don’t even meet. Every now and then, they bug me because it’s maybe my turn to buy lunch, but that’s about it.”
During the past three years, some hard hockey lessons have been learned. A national championship was ripped away from the Dogs with only 23 seconds
Darren Zary left in the 2005 Telus University Cup in Edmonton when the host University of Alberta Golden Bears scored the tying goal and then went on to win in overtime.
Last year, it looked like a potential repeat final between Alberta and Saskatchewan, but the Huskies lacked finish against Lakehead University despite badly out-playing the Thunderwolves. Lakehead ended up losing by one goal to Alberta in the national final.
“It just builds character,” says Twordik. “The old saying of ‘whatever kills you makes your stronger.’We’ve been there. We’ve had the heartbreaks. We know what it takes to get to the final and we know what it takes to win the championship.
“We’ve seen a few of those teams before. Systems-wise, we probably didn’t remember too much about them, but you’ve got the same coaches and a few of the same players. They’re pretty much the same teams.”
For the older players on the team, two years of defeat has intensified their hunger and resolve.
“Definitely the first loss was the biggest to Alberta. It still eats at you,” says Twordik. “Until you win one, it probably won’t go away or if it ever does go away.
“It would definitely help my mind to win a national championship.” It didn’t happen last year, either. “There’s tons of confidence in the room. It comes from the leadership, guys that have been there, and the young guys, too, who don’t really know what they’re getting into. They’re just playing and doing everything they can to experience that,” says Twordik.
“It’s a combination of having the old guys with the young guys and working towards that same goal.”
Adolph feels his team is in good hands with Twordik, McAvoy and Austring. They are as much different as they are the same.
“With our captain, Twordik, everything’s is on a mission with him,” Adolph says. “When it’s time to get going and things need to be done, Twordik’s a guy.
“Keegan’s a fierce competitor but he looks after absolutely everybody on our team, off-ice, socially, or if they’re in trouble, or if somebody is squirreling around afterhours, Mac takes care of it.
“Then you’ve got Curtis Austring, who easily is the best leader that we’ve ever had in terms of all facets. Aussie’s the man of common sense. If maybe one of the two other guys is riled up over something, Oz sorts it out.
“We’ve always had good leaders here, but these three guys have different sort of personalities and they all sort of complement each other.
“I basically do what they tell me to do.”
dzary@sp.canwest.com
