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Otter-ly suprising turn of events September 30, 2009 - by Brent Cooper

Tom McCarthy fired after six seasons

What happened?

That's the question on the minds of most Huntsville Otters fans as they learned one day before the team's Sept. 25 home game against the Georgetown Raiders that Tom McCarthy, the only head coach the team has had in its six-year history, had been fired.

One season removed from a divisional playoff title and two years past a regular-season division crown, McCarthy was dismissed Thursday morning.

McCarthy was one of three people who put the woeful Huntsville Wildcats franchise out of its misery by purchasing the franchise midway through the 2003-2004 season.

Following the first three seasons, where the team flirted with a .500 record, the Otters turned in two consecutive seasons in which they were one of the best clubs in the then-Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, winning the 2007-2008 North Division regular season championship and then capturing the re-named Phillips Division playoff title the following year.

This year, with a young club, the Otters struggled out of the gate, posting a 1-4 record. Three of the team's losses have been by only one goal and the other was by a mere two goals.

McCarthy's overall coaching record was 136-90-11-11 for a winning percentage of 59.2.

Co-owner Jason Armstrong said the choice to remove McCarthy was " a business decision to move the team forward," adding the firing had nothing to do with the team's on-ice performance.

"It was a decision to move the Otters forward for the future," he said during an interview between periods of Friday's home game with the Raiders. "The team made a decision that was best for the long-term goals of the club. I certainly respect Tom's accomplishments with the team and Tom will go down as a very good coach for this team. We made a decision to move forward and Tom was not part of that formula."

When Kris House and Armstrong purchased the team three years ago, McCarthy was signed to a four-year contract as its head coach.

Assistant coach Terry Exell, who was recruited by McCarthy to join the Otters, left the bench just before the start of the game on Friday night. He watched the game from the stands with family and friends.

When asked after the game about his future with the team, Exell said he would not comment on his status with the Otters other than he is taking some time to think about things.

"This has been a difficult time of adjustment for all of the coaches," Armstrong added in his e-mail. "I can certainly understand their surprise and everyone will require a period time to adjust."  

McCarthy could not be reached for comment, although sources close to him say he will make a statement to the media sometime this week.  

Brian O'Leary hired as new coach/GM

The man who will lead the Huntsville Otters has been named.

The Otters announced on Monday that Brian O'Leary, who has spent time coaching in the Ontario Hockey League and the North America-based ECHL, has been hired as the team's new head coach and general manager.

O'Leary, who most recently was an assistant coach with the Phoenix Roadrunners of the minor professional ECHL the past two seasons, was a head coach in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) when he took over the bench of the Owen Sound Attack for the 2000-2001 season.

He compiled a 31-27-7-3 record in his inaugural year for a 0.529 winning percentage.

He then became the head coach and general manager of the Owen Sound Junior B Greys for the next three seasons.

The Owen Sound native has also been an assistant coach with the Attack, helping to guide the team to four consecutive playoff appearances and a franchise-best 40-18-10 record in 2004-05.

He spent time as an assistant coach with the Cornwall Royals and Owen Sound Platers of the OHL and has more than 17 years of coaching experience in Canadian junior hockey.

 "O'Leary has consistently guided junior hockey teams and their players to personal bests and playoff positions," said Jason Armstrong, co-owner of the Huntsville Otters. "He is a solid addition to the team and we look forward to a successful 2009-10 season."

O'Leary's contract begins today and his first game will take place this Friday in Collingwood against the Blues.

His first home game will be Sunday at 3 p.m. against the Couchiching Terriers.

O'Leary will have his work cut out for him. The Otters dropped their third straight game on Friday night at the Jack Bionda Arena, a 9-1 debacle to the Georgetown Raiders.

Huntsville played a very solid first period, using aggressive hitting to keep the Raiders offstride. The effort seemed to pay off as the team had a number of chances midway through the period, but could not find the back of the net.

However, a weak shot that eluded the outstretched catching hand of goalie Andrew Knight at the 14:09 mark of the first seemed to drain the team of the energy it had built up in the first half of the period.

The Raiders buried the Otters before seven minutes had ticked off the clock in the second, scoring three times to build a commanding 4-0 lead. That lead increased to 5-0 before the end of the middle frame.

Two early third-period Georgetown goals upped the lead to 7-0 before Greg Cerilli scored his first of the year at 8:02 to spoil the shutout for the Raiders' netminder. Less than two minutes after Cerilli's tally, the Raiders popped two more past Knight to end the scoring for the evening.

In the past three games, Huntsville has scored a mere three times while allowing 13 goals.

The Otters now have a record of 1-5 and are tied with the Blues for last place in the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.

Ted Magee leaves to become league chair

One of the architects of the Huntsville Otters hockey team is moving on to greener pastures.

Ted Magee, who has been the team's general manager for the past five seasons, is leaving the club to assume the duties of chair of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League (OJAHL).

Magee officially tendered his resignation three weeks ago, but has since stayed on as interim general manager until the chair's position was made official and the Otters had a new general manager.

Brian O'Leary was named the team's new head coach and general manager on Monday.

"My name had been put up for chair and I was asked if I would accepted it. I told the league if I was voted in that I would. I can't handle both jobs, and I felt that the chair's position would be an advance for my hockey career," he said. "I hate leaving the Otters, but I felt this is something that could help the new league out."

Prior to the dissolution of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) a few months ago, Magee had been on the board of directors for the Ontario Conference - the predecessor of the OJAHL - and was a co-chair of the OJHL.

"That was probably one of the shortest stints in hockey management ever because within a month (of becoming co-chair) everything fell apart. Our commissioner Marty Savoy went about getting names for a chair for the OJAHL and my name was put in and I understand I was voted in unanimously by the 14 teams."

The vote for the new chair was held Sept. 22.

Magee said that while he is looking forward to his new role with the OJAHL, he will always have good memories of his time in Huntsville.

"My heart is still with the Otters, but I had to move on," he said. "I felt I needed change and I like the way the new league is going. I think there has to be consideration for Tomorrow's Game from the Ontario Hockey Association. I think there is a lot of tweaking to be done and I want to help with that."

Tomorrow's Game, passed at the 2009 OHA annual general meeting, is a proposed restructuring of the 130-something teams operating at junior levels in Ontario. The ultimate goal is to re-align junior hockey in the province into three distinct levels based on a series of operating guidelines and topped by a premier group of franchises.

"I think this will be a challenge and I want to help make it work out," Magee said.

 

taken from: http://www.huntsvilleforester.com/article/146240