OrilliaMatters received the following letter from Andrew McDonald, the general manager of the Orillia Terriers Jr. C Hockey Club.
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I would like to start by thanking our sponsors for all their support. It was crucial in helping turn this organization in the right direction.
Hockey at the junior level is unbelievably expensive. If not for our corporate sponsors we couldn’t do it.
Myself and (team owner) Jamie Clarke were determined to give the players a proper junior experience but keep individual player costs low.
We directly gave back more than 50% of the player fees in sticks, gloves, bags, tape, and medical supplies. We couldn’t do these things without monetary help from our business community.
There are too many to mention but visit our website to see just how much the business community supported us this season. Our corporate food suppliers, Tops Pizza, The Water Store, Booster Juice and Orillia Bakery made sure the players were well fed and hydrated prior to every home game.
The Orillia Legion stepped up at the last minute to take over our booster club and 50/50. I look forward to continuing this relationship next year.
With the loss of our local newspaper, OrilliaMatters was crucial in getting news, dates and events out into the community.
Coaches Dallyn Telford and Joel Wigel did a great job helping us reach our goal of most Terrier wins in a regular season.
We ran into some bumps on the bench this year but Dallyn and Joel kept the players focused and on track.
The Terriers lucked out by landing trainer Danielle Quinto who is a total pro that our players trusted completely.
The biggest thanks of all has to go to our fans. We had strong home support all season and it continued into the playoffs. Anyone who was at our games knows that the fan support was incredible.
As the GM, the atmosphere at Rotary during the playoffs told me all the hard work, by every member of the Terriers staff, who are mostly volunteers, was paying off.
It was a total representation of our community with a mix of students, seniors and families making the effort to get to the rink to cheer on the Terriers. Thank you to all who came out this season.
I would also like to thank the people who helped the Terriers on a daily basis. Without the help of Jackie Brown, Dave Dunn, Sam Hossack and Tim McConaghy, it would not have been possible.
Owner Jamie Clarke, VP Jason Hooper and myself had a similar vision of what this team could be, and what it could bring to the City of Orillia.
We experienced the lowest of the lows last season but committed to fixing it. Almost all decisions this year were made by committee. All three of us put the team first when making some very tough decisions, understanding it was the only way to get results on the ice and the support of the community off ice.
I would personally like to thank Roy Micks for sharing his experiences as a former GM at the junior level. There is a ton involved in trying to run a hockey team successfully and Roy never refused my call for advice regardless of where he was or when I called.
We have already begun the process of preparing for next season. We are setting new goals and look to build off the successes of this year. We have learned a ton and my goal is to be a better team each season.
As far as the playoffs go, I am incredibly proud of our players. We got off very easy as far as injuries went during the regular season but, literally on the eve of the playoffs we were crushed with injuries to four of our top players. I don’t care what team it is, that’s tough to manage, but their teammates stepped up big time and made a series of it.
Every player on our roster, including our affiliated players, gave everything they had and that's all you can ask.
Our staff and the player parents expressed to me, this may have been one of the best dressing rooms ever ... period. No division, total inclusion and support for every one of their teammates. They had each other’s backs and it showed.
We did think we were a second-round team and regardless of injuries it stings when expectations are high and you fall short. I think every player grew and developed on and off the ice this year and that’s what we really care about. In the end, all our boys were incredible to work with.
We are looking to add to our corporate sponsors and volunteers for the upcoming season. Anyone interested in getting involved and helping us achieve our goals can contact me personally via our webpage. Thanks to all.
GO TERRIERS!
Andrew McDonald, GM
Orillia Terriers Jr. Hockey Club
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