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The Times Advocate, 2008-12-31, Page 9Wednesday, December 31, 2008 Times -Advocate 9 SPORTS LEISURE Former Maple Leafs goalie coach offers clinic in Exeter By Ben Forrest TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER Steve McKichan has been up the mountain twice once for a brief stay as a player, and once as a coach. If the chance came tomorrow to go back there he would not take it, he says. His first trip to the top of the hockey world came during the 1990-91 NHL season, when he played a single game for the Vancouver Canucks. He was sent down to the minors after that, but many expected he would return to the NHL, and McKichan is one of them. I think that if I kept playing I would have had a decent career, he said after a free goalie clinic offered in Exeter Dec. 24. I think I would probably be a middle of the road to lower -level NHL goalie. I wouldn t be as good as [Dominik] Hasek but I think I would have had a decent career enough where I could buy a few cars. On Dec. 15, 1990, while playing goal for the International Hockey League s Milwaukee Admirals, he suffered a neck injury that would end his career. If he would return to the top of the moun- tain, he would not do it as a player. McKichan taught elementary school for a while and began running hockey schools almost immediately. I always knew I wanted to be a school teacher and do hockey schools in the sum- mer, he said. So I got my teaching degree on my [college] scholarship and then when I got injured, I just naturally started coaching kids earlier. I was lucky that I took hard work at school and had something to fall back on. That s a message I give to kids as well, to do well in school. Within a couple of years, McKichan s hockey school was successful enough that he could work with it fulltime, and he stopped teaching in a classroom. He claims his goal was not to make it back to the NHL as a coach, but the opportunity came soon after meeting Ed Belfour, who was then with the Toronto Maple Leafs. I worked with him and he asked if I would coach in the NHL, McKichan said in an interview. I said, Sure. He was Belfour s personal coach at first but became goalie coach for the entire Maple Leafs team and responsible for guiding all goalies in the Leafs system One of the prospects under his charge was Justin Pogge, who may be the Leafs goal - tender of the future and recently made his NHL debut. I m very proud of him, McKichan said. When I ran into him four or five years ago he was a very rough around the edges guy big, athletic kid. [He] came from a really tough family situation and he s done amaz- ing things. I almost had a tear in my eye the other night watching him play, because I know how [much] it meant for him and his mother to see him play in the NHL. After last season, McKichan s second stay atop the mountain ended. The Leafs missed the playoffs, and the coaching staff was let go. He went back to coaching kids, hoping to develop in them the tools they need to be pros someday. He claims to prefer it this way. Working with these young little gaffers here you get to see them smile a lot, he said. NHL guys, they do enjoy it and they do learn and there s things they do mistake - wise that little guys do. Lessons learned Strathroy native and former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie coach Steve McKichan speaks to a gaggle of young goalies during a clinic offered in Exeter on Dec. 24. (photo/Ben Forrest) But I get a big kick out of seeing a nine- year-old learn how to hold their stick for the first time, and a 41 -year-old learning how to get up with the correct leg, which Belfour hadn t learned before we started working. McKichan s clinic in Exeter was one of 31 he offered in 38 days, he said. He claims to see 2,000 or 3,000 goalies a year these days, and says he has fun doing it. I want to see some of these kids in the small towns hear what it takes to get to the NHL, he said. As for a third trip up the mountain, McKichan says he could do without it. I want to just stick working with kids and staying around Strathroy, he said. I had the chance to play in the NHL, had a chance to coach. It s sort of like Been there, done that, and for me I d rather spend time coaching kids than coaching at the NHL level. If an offer came tomorrow he would not take it, he said. He would rather stay dose to Strathroy, he said his hometown and the place where his first trip up the mountain began. Lucan Ilderton Jets flying high despite recent loss LUCAN The Lucan llderton Jets hosted the Monkton Wildcats Saturday, losing 4-3 in overtime. The Jets led 1-0 after the first period on the strength of a goal from Joe Pikul. Jeff Cook and Jeff Silver added Jets goals in the second period, leaving the score 3-2 in the Jets favour after 40 minutes. Monkton scored late in the third period to tie the game, then scored the winner in overtime, according to Jets gen- eral manager Rob Andrews. Both teams seemed to be shorthanded, said Andrews We were missing some guys but so were they. Monkton is one of the WOAA Senior Men s Hockey League s up-and-coming teams, Andrews said. They ve played everybody really tough, and I don t know if I d really want to play in the first round of the play- offs. They re a big team, they never quit. They keep pressing and pressing and make you make mistakes. The Jets fared better against Thedford Dec. 20, coming away with a 6-5 win. The victory moved them into first place in the WOAA South. Thedford has struggled to find victories the past couple of years but, boy did they play us like they were Stanley Cup champions, Andrews said. The score was tied 3-3 after the first period, with Jets play- ers Jeff Cook, Joe Pikul and J.D. McFarlan each scoring one goal. Silver added another goal in the second period but Thed- ford added one of their own, leaving the score 4-4 after 40 minutes. Lucan-Ilderton pulled away in the third period thanks to goals from Kyle Smith and Jason Wilson, though Thedford added one more goal before the game was through. They didn t quit, and our guys weren t ready, said An- drews. We luckily squeaked out a win. We were short a few players but that doesn t matter. That happens every night. The guys weren t prepared, and you have to be prepared every night. Andrews noted Thedford s roster included Barry Stratton and his sons Dan and Trevor, perhaps the first time in the league a father and two sons have played on the same team. It was nice to watch, An- drews said. In his day, Barry Stratton was one of the best amateur players around. The Jets face the Exeter Mo- hawks Jan. 3, a team that has struggled this year but isn t taken lightly by Andrews. They re too good a team to be where they are, he said. They 11 be putting on a run pretty soon, I would imagine. The Jets have only four Zurich bowling scores Mon. Night Ladies -Dec. 15 Lane 1: Elaine Datars-171, 502; Lane 2: Elaine Weido-209, 543; Lane 3: Mary Ann Bender- 221, 542; Lane 4: Liz Fraser -158, 434; Lane 5: Sabrina Oesch-236, Suzanne Coleman -618; Lane 6: Lorna Wernham-203, 578; Ladies High Average: Bev Cregan-192 Tues. High Mens -Dec. 16 Ramblers: Ted Stanlake-253, 626; Dream Team: Bill Coleman - 274, 653; Odd Balls: Steve Wells -314, 624; High Rollers: Matt Laporte- 255, 625; Rockets: Jon - Luc Dietrich- 249, 639; Pumpkin Patch: Les Coleman -264, 721; Men's High Average: Les Coleman -238 Wed. Morning Ladies - Dec. 17 Lane 4: Barb Robinson -193, 494; Lane 5: Mona Traquair-207, 560; Lane 6: Elaine Weido-212, 492 Grand Cove & Friends -Dec. 18 Lane 3: Lorraine Head -214, 554; Lane 4: Jim Parmley-249, 693; Lane 5: Bill Coleman -212, 559; Lane 6: Ralph Simons -216, Bert Steenhuis-546; Ladies High Average: Lorraine Head -164; Men's High Average: Jim Parmley-210 Cannonballs -Dec. 18 Tim Goodland - 79, Rob McCann - 82, Devin Scott - 118, Gerald Storey - 139, Ryan Jewitt - 97, Scot Ferguson -144, Bev Claus - 128, Marley Baker - 94, Brent Storey - 220, Roger Rammeloo - 68, Carolyn Maloney - 107, Janice Sharrow - 92, Rebecca Pickering - 77, Debbie Brownley - 109, Brent Butson - 119, Heather Kirchgessner - 107, Curtis Hall - 125, Jack Wallace - 142, Chris Mitchell -106, Bruce Stubbs - 97 Thurs. Night Mixed -Dec. 18 Lane 3: George Johnston -220, Les Coleman -602; Lane 4: Suzanne Coleman- 204, 555; Lane 5: Laurie Stanlake-282, 685; Lane 6: Ted Stanlake-285, 728; Ladies High Average: Laurie Stanlake-188; Men's High Average: Les Coleman - 243 regular season games remaining, and Andrews is pleased with his team s current position in the standings. The way it looks right now we should be one of the top four teams, which is where we d like to be because you get that extra home game for playoffs, he said. But it s still really close between Tavistock, Tillsonburg, us and Clinton. All those teams are really close. One off night could cost you a couple of positions in the stand- ings. The Jan. 3 game against Exeter takes place 7:30 p.m. at the Ilderton Community Centre. 1-2-1 Health & Fitness 5611 McGillivray Dr., Lucan, ON • 519-227-1820 WINTER SESSIONS BOOTCAMP - 6 Weeks, starting January 12th trough to February 19th. Maximum 5 people per class / 1 hour session. 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