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Provincial lockdown puts Terriers' strong season on pause

'It sucks. Last season we didn’t have a season, and we just started getting back into the groove of things,' says Terriers leading scorer
2018-11-04 brown scoring att.jpg
Forward Josh Brown was leading the Orillia Terriers in scoring before the season came to a halt yesterday morning. Tyler Evans/OrilliaMatters

The McLean & Dickey Orillia Terriers season is on ice - for now - due to the staggering rise of the Omicron variant that prompted Doug Ford and the provincial government to shut down indoor spaces, including local arenas, for the next 21 days.

The Jr. C club was in the midst of battling for the top spot in the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s North Carruthers Division when the season was paused yesterday morning. The Terriers sport a record of 14-5-1 and sit just three points back of the division-leading Stayner Siskins.

Head coach Dalyn Telford says no direction has been given by the league or the Ontario government, but they expect to be back on the ice in 21 days.

“Now we are in a position where there are going to be so many games to make up and play beginning in February. So, the question is are we going to extend the season and pick up where we left off, or not? There are some logistics to figure out for sure,” he said.

The Terriers have 15 games left on the regular-season schedule; Telford will be meeting with his players tonight to send them off for three weeks and to keep them focused.

“I’m going to tell them to stay as positive as they can. We’ve had a good season, which makes this really disappointing. We are hunting for the division (title) with a young group,” he said.

Telford says when the players hopefully return to game action, they will need some time to get back into game shape and get their competitive juices flowing once again.

“When you are on the ice three or four times a week, and then all of the sudden you are off for an extended period of time, there is going to be some catch-up for sure,” he said.

“We are going to have to ramp it up in a hurry. The good thing is we have a good record and have points in the bank, and we have a really good dressing room. The fact that we are a tight-knit group should make things easier for when we come back.”

Terriers right-winger Josh Brown is leading his team in scoring at the pause. He has 18 goals, 11 assists, and 29 points in 20 games played. Brown says being away from the rink for 21 days will be tough.

“It sucks. Last season we didn’t have a season, and we just started getting back into the groove of things,” Brown said.

“We had a decent record, we were really rolling, and now having this month off will be really hard for everyone around the league.”

Brown is hopeful that finishing the season and competing in the playoffs is still a realistic possibility.

“I feel for the over-agers on our team who are in their last year. I hope we get to finish this thing the right way for them,” he said.

The mindset for Brown and his teammates is to keep optimistic, although he admits it’s difficult to do so.

“With all the lockdowns and cancellations we’ve experienced, we honestly have no clue what to expect for the future. Right now we are told we will be back at the end of January, so we have to stay ready, active, and not just sit around,” he said.

“Luckily, this comes at a time when lakes are frozen. So, we hope to at least get on the (outdoor rink) and keep moving so we aren’t stiff when and if we come back.”


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Tyler Evans

About the Author: Tyler Evans

Tyler Evans got his start in the news business when he was just 15-years-old and now serves as a video producer and reporter with OrilliaMatters
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