General manager Barrie MacDonald is calling it “a total rebuild job” in Leamington with the Western Conference Flyers.
“We have a brand new coaching staff and a whole new hockey team,” MacDonald said prior to last Friday’s game against St. Marys Lincolns.
Ten of the Flyers are just 17 years old.
“We’re having some growing pains because we’re very young,” MacDonald said, noting that Leamington started the season with just five returnees.
Leamington’s only import is captain Steve Kruk, an American. “We’re basically a home-grown team, so we’re building for the future.”
New Flyers’ coach is Greg Trojand, of Windsor, who spent over 10 years coaching in the Sun County ‘AAA’ minor system. He has also been an assistant coach in the Great Lakes Jr. C League with Kingsville and Belle River.

•The big three. In Lincolns’ team scoring, Blair Brewer, Seth Griffith and Jamie Commerford are starting to put a little distance between themselves and the rest of the pack.
After weekend action, Brewer continues to lead Lincs in scoring with 10 goals and 25 points, just one more than rookie Griffith (15-9).
Commerford had a stretch recently where he picked up 10 points (4-6) in three games. The big winger sits in third place in team scoring with 10 goals and 22 points.
Brewer, Griffith and Commerford, meanwhile, have accounted for 16 of Lincolns’ 20 powerplay goals to date.

•Lincs went 3-1-1 while head coach Merlin Malinowski was in Scotland on a recent golfing trip.

•Last Friday’s game at the Pyramid Centre was delayed about 30 minutes when Leamington defenceman Ryan Crevatin suffered a broken bone just above the ankle. He had to be taken off the ice by ambulance attendants.
Crevatin was injured when run into the end boards by Lincolns’ rookie Sean Consitt, who received a five-minute major and a two-game suspension.

•A bright spot for the Lincs has been the play of newcomer Paul Thompson. In six games since coming to St. Marys in a recent trade with Elmira Sugar Kings, the 17-year-old Woodstock native has four goals, including a shorthanded marker, and six points.

•Lincolns are holding a Halloween promotion, for both youngsters and adults, this Friday, Oct. 30. There will be several prizes up for grabs.
Best costume wins a gift package, which will be presented at the end of the second period. Sarnia is the visitor.

•Former Lincs’ defenceman Justin Prittie has joined Simcoe Storm of the Niagara West Jr. C League.
Prittie, 20, was recently released when St. Marys needed an import card for defenceman Josh Cornelissen, 19, who was acquired in a trade with Sarnia Legionnaires.
Prittie, a third-year student at Laurier University in Waterloo, recently skated with Stratford Cullitons of the Midwestern Jr. B Conference. He finished last season with Waterloo Siskins.

•London Nationals recently obtained former Strathroy Rockets’ captain Kyle Moore. The 20-year-old Moore, a winger, will add size and toughness to the Nats’ forward lines.
Ryan Kope and defenceman Martin Greenaway went to the Rockets in return.
The first-place Nats make their first trip to St. Marys on Friday, Nov. 6.

•As part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, Exeter Hawks honoured the 1971-72 All-Ontario champions last Friday night. That season, Hawks went 20-2 in their playoff run.
The Exeter Jr. D franchise has won five OHA championships over five decades. Hawks also captured provincial titles in 1977, 1996, 2002 and 2004.