Great week for the North Stars, a sweep is always nice, what I'm not sure of is how the CJHL rankings work. You sweep the week and the team gets downgraded in the rankings. Is that something the coaching staff and the players pay any attention to?
KH: Not at all, the rankings are opinion based on statistics and analysis. In fact, it is still a mystery to me how they come up with the rankings, especially from 5 through 20. It becomes pretty clear who your top 3 to 5 teams are in the country, beyond that is anyone’s guess, certainly something that doesn't occupy a lot of our thoughts.
Igor Leonenko has had an absolute beast of a week. 11 points in his last five games, recently being named SJHL player of the week. Has anything changed in his game over the years? Are you surprised he hasn't been picked up by anyone yet? I know he is in his last year of eligibility with the team, but how did you come across him?
KH: The puck is finding Igor right now and he would be the first to deflect his success to his line mates and the team. Something a lot of people don't know about Igor, is how hard he works when nobody is watching. Quietly, he puts extra minutes on the track, or extra time in the gym. Those small sacrifices are paying off for him and he has earned that success. His health has remained intact and he is very positive to be around with his biggest concern being the teams’ success. It's a long story to try and explain how we found him, I will simply say thank you to online video streaming of hockey games. I have no doubt in my mind that Igor will play at a higher level next season, he will earn it.
Kendall Fransoo was named SJHL defenceman of the week with his recent outpour of offence. How important is he to this team? He is known to be a big defensive defenceman but he's been getting it done on both ends.
KH: Kendall leads by example and has a strong support cast of leaders around him that play the game the right way. That sums up Kendall, he plays the game the right way. Kendall has adjusted his game this season to play with more composure and discipline - translated, more time on the ice, more time to contribute offensively. A lot of Kendall’s offence is getting pucks to the net and making a good first pass out of the defensive zone. He is extremely coachable and the hardest competitor on our team. He simply hates to lose. That’s what the players respect most about Kendall.
Layne Young, Reed Delainey and Connor Sych have been selected to try out for team Canada West. As a coach, how great is it to see your hard work, as well as the players', pay off? Will they be playing on Friday before they leave?
KH: Full credit to goes to these players and the entire Minor Hockey Systems that assisted their development. The North Stars Organization is extremely proud to be represented by these players at the National Stage and we are confident they will do everything in their power to earn a spot on Team Canada West. At this point in time, our plan is to have all three in the line up on Friday.
Billy Gorn was coming up with some timely saves in Humboldt. What was the strategy coming in against him and a team that has had a rebuilding year?
KH: We didn't know a whole bunch about Gorn, our players simply played our game in front of him. He made some big saves and kept Humbodlt within striking distance the whole game, which is all you can ask as a coach. The Broncos have struggled to put the puck in the net this season, and from that, players tend to try a little harder and the sticks get gripped a little tighter. One thing about Humboldt, they never quit working, with that quality in mind, the rebuild will move along as planned and it won't be long before they are contending again.
Going into Kindersley we talked about how they knocked the North Stars out of the playoffs and how they are your natural rival. Does a win against them taste that much better knowing your teams past? Landon Gross is one of the hottest players in the SJHL right now, how did you go about shutting him down?
KH: Every win is a celebration we take complete advantage of. We earned that right in 60 minutes, so regardless of the opponent, we celebrate earned victories. A win against Kindersley and we celebrate a little bit more! Coach Johnson did a tremendous job of preparing the players to compete in that hockey game which was from controlling the puck. When you outshoot your opponent 2 to 1, I like your chances of keeping "hot players" off the score sheet. A tip of the hat to Hargaves, he was spectacular in that game.
You solved Weyburn and Jack Burgart last time through putting up seven goals. Is the game plan going to be much of the same or is it something you have to always be changing in order to be successful against a goaltender like him?
KH: We will continue to seek ways to improve how we play, certainly against Weyburn, we will have to be at our best. This is a team that defeated us in the Civic Centre twice this season in games we felt we played well enough to win. Our players will have to be sharp with the puck in all three zones.
Although some nights are better than others, the power play unit has scored a goal in 10 straight games. Is this something you need to capitalize on going against Weyburn?
KH: Specialty teams are a huge part of every game. They will factor in the end result. Our power play has scored "timely" goals when the team needed to score and to us, that impacts the game more than percentages on paper. I would take it to the bank that special teams will factor into the end result of this game.
Notre Dame always seems to play the North Stars close. The Hounds have the second best power play in the league, how are you planning to stop that attack? Does it start with disciplined hockey?
KH: The best penalty kill is staying out of the box, so I agree with your second question. Notre Dame has some offensive weapons you have to be aware of and they move the puck extremely well. It will be important for us to apply smart pressure and keep their play to the perimeter. Entries have to be pressured and battles for loose pucks need to be won by our players.
