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Phantoms center of attention
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
Now that most of the members of last season’s USHL regular season champions have skated off to college, Phantoms captain Matt Alvaro says the time has come for this year’s squad to carve out its own identity.
“We’re not going to be the same team we were last year [but] that’s not to say we’re not going to be a successful team,” said Alvaro, the second-year Phantom from Toronto. “We’re just going to have to earn it in different ways.”
One of the biggest changes for Alvaro is being separated from Chase Pearson, his center last season. This season, they are centering the Phantoms’ top two lines.
“We want to play an even bigger role,” said Alvaro whose linemates are returning forward Kevin Conley and newcomer Yushiro Hirano from Japan. “Two shooters on the wings — it’s been a lot of fun trying to get them the puck as often as I can.”
Pearson, who was drafted in June by the Detroit Red Wings with pick 140 in the NHL Draft, has second-year Phantom James Winkler and newcomer Cam Morrison flanking him.
Pearson, forward Lukas Craggs and defenseman Matt Miller (East Palestine) were voted alternate captains.
Pearson said it’s not easy giving up playing with Alvaro. Along with Josh Nenadal, they played on a line for a 75 percent of last season.
“We had pretty good chemistry last year,” said Pearson, who grew up near Atlanta and is the son of former NHL player Scott Pearson. “As the season goes on, we’ll progress, we’ll start to build some chemistry.”
Tuesday, the Phantoms announced that Conley, Morrison and defenseman Luke McInnis made the NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary list of players to watch for the 2016 NHL Draft,
As the Phantoms’ seventh USHL season unfolds, the biggest change is behind the bench as John Wroblewski has replaced Anthony Noreen as head coach. In June, Noreen became head coach of the ECHL’s Orlando Solar bears, an affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“It was hard at first because I was pretty close with Anthony Noreen,” said Miller of the news Noreen was leaving after four years as head coach. “He’s an amazing coach, I’m so happy for him. It was definitely a turn I wasn’t expecting.
“It threw me off a bit but we’ve got a great coach now, a guy who wants to win,” said Miller, one of four defensemen back. “And we’ve ot a team that wants to win.”
The other returning defensemen are Kris Myllari, Vas Kolias and Ty Farmer.
Also returning for a third full season is goaltender Colin DeAugustine, the Phantoms’ leader in victories in each of the past two seasons. Last season, DeAugustine’s record was 22-6-1.
This fall, he’ll share the net with first-year Phantom Ryan Bednard, who was drafted by the NHL’s Florida Panthers in the seventh round of June’s draft.
Wroblewski said for now he plans to alternate DeAugustine and Bednard. Last Saturday, Bednard was in goal for the Phantoms’ 6-4 loss to Team USA’s 18-under squad in the season opener at the Covelli Centre.
“Right now, each guy is going to get an opportunity to prove himself,” said Wroblewski who spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. “There will be different spot in the season where [games] are more clumped together and the guy who deserves to be playing two out of three, or three out of four of those games is going to get the nod.
“Now, we’re definitely going to utilize both goaltenders’ skills. That’s the right thing for them and good for the team.”
The Phantoms return to the Covelli Centre ice this weekend for two games against the Bloomington Thunder.
The team’s search for an assistant coach to place John Ronan continues so it’s likely that Wroblewski and Brad Patterson will be the only coaches again behind the bench.
“We’ve been kicking the tires, we’re looking for a fit, certainly not going to force a square peg into a round hole,” Wroblewski said of the search. “We’re looking for someone who’s going to be a long-term asset to the organization, not just a fill-in.
“[The hire] has to complement the staff already in place, the structure that’s already been built here. It’s a complicated piece to fill in.”
Alvaro said he was a little surprised when he was voted captain.
“It’s an absolute honor to be wearing the C for the Phantoms,” Alvaro said.
One of his challenges learning to communicate with Hirano.
“He doesn’t speak too much English, but he’s getting the hang of it,” Alvaro said of his linemate. “His roommates are helping him out. He catches on pretty quick.
“We try different ways to communicate but for the most part he actually understands what I’m saying,” Alvaro said.