NEWS

This is the first in a series of short OJHL captain profile interviews from website contributor Ron Valentine.

Jackson Bales - Oakville Blades
(pictured top left - photo credit: Tim Bates/OJHL Images)
JACKSON BALES is bullish on the Blades' upcoming season, their 50th anniversary. His style of captaincy will concentrate on leading the way on and off the ice. He is very excited to have committed to Merrimack starting next year. He really wants to make his last campaign as a Blade a winning one. While he admits the club has lost some of its firepower but already has confidence in the new additions. He sees himself as a '200 foot player' and has set no personal goals this season except to be a respected and successful captain. His linemates early in the season have been veteran Ryan Foss and sophomore Bryce Misley and he feels a great chemistry with them but stresses that everyone has to contribute for his club to repeat as winners in the South.

Lucas Condotta - Markham Royals
(pictured top right - photo credit: Andy Corneau/OJHL Images)
LUCAS CONDOTTA at 18 will be one of the younger captains and he is very excited to be leading the Royals. The ex-Hamilton Red Wing says he will play the same aggressive style that he has had success with so far. He feels nothing except number one spot in the North will be acceptable this season. He says the club is going to be 'bigger, stronger and faster' this season. He plans to employ a relaxed style as captain and he feels it is important to lead by example. He is looking for a career in CIS or US college down the road, but stresses that his focus is on the now. Several new faces on the club will mean that they will need time to mesh together and he stresses no club, especially those in the North, can be taken lightly.

Josh Maguire - Cobourg Cougars
(pictured bottom left - photo credit: Tim Bates/OJHL Images)
JOSH MAGUIRE is in his last season of eligibilty in junior hockey and says it's great to be home in Cobourg and being named captain of the Cougars this season. He moved away at 16 and he enjoyed three seasons with the Peterbourough Petes. He says it was a honour to wear the 'A' for them in his last campaign there. Now it's all about the Cougars and he is very excited to be a part of the club which will host the RBC Cup, National Junior 'A' Championship. He has been a captain in minor hockey before and he says he will be vocal in the dressing room and will have the players backs whether they are rookies or veterans, He is really looking forward to playing for a club that stresses all-round hockey and play a defence-first style that he was used to in Peterborough. He would like to score 30+ goals this term, but realizes that it's team first and the personal stuff will look after itself. Next season he is looking at playing on a CIS team or perhaps in Europe.

Colin Rigney - Orangeville Flyers
(pictured bottom right - photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig/OJHL Images)
COLIN RIGNEY is the new captain of the Flyers. He says that he will lead by example and is looking forward to leading Orangeville further through the playoffs than they have managed for the last couple of seasons. He feels they will be a very hardworking squad who will be tough to play against every night. He says there are no big egos on this team. He did single out Zack Lyons as a player who could show the biggest improvement this year but will try to get one hundred percent from everyone. He feels a lot of the younger players will make considerable progress as the season goes along. He has a full-time job himself, but will keep his eye open for further advancement in hockey.

The West Division Week-in-Review is written by longtime Hamilton Junior hockey supporter and OJHL website contributor Ron Valentine. Follow Ron on twitter - @ronandlynda