WHILE the circumstances are not ideal, Larry Wintoneak is back as a head coach in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
After serving as an assistant the past few years with the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers, the Thunder Bay product was named their interim head coach last week, taking over for Garry Childerhose, who has taken a leave of absence from the club to deal with some health concerns.
Coming into play this past week at 0-2, Wintoneak’s return as bench boss paid immediate dividends for Kindersley as his efforts helped lead the Klippers to a pair of victories.
In his first outing as head coach Friday, they defeated the Estevan Bruins 4-1 and followed that up with a 5-2 decision over the Weyburn Red Wings Saturday.
They then headed into a Sunday evening match-up vs. the La Ronge Icewolves in Day 1 of the SJHL Showcase in Warman, Sask.
No stranger to coaching in the Jr. A ranks, Wintoneak has guided teams in the SIJHL and SJHL, including winning a Bill Salonen Cup with the Dryden GM Ice Dogs and leading the Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL) to the final of the Canadian Jr. A Championship.
Wintoneak also served as head coach of Team Canada West at the 2010 World Jr. A Challenge as was an assistant for the squad in 2009 that captured a silver medal that suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against the U.S. in the title game.
TRYING OUT: After wrapping up his collegiate career helping the University of Minnesota-Duluth win back-to-back NCAA Frozen Four championships, Thunder Bay’s Billy Exell has graduated and is now looking to earn some playing time in the professional ranks.
He began that opportunity Sunday on a tryout with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.
He was one of 23 forwards taking part in the camp, but will undoubtedly fluctuate depending on roster moves made by Rockford’s parent club, the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks.
An assistant captain in his senior year at UMD, Exell was named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team for his efforts in the Bulldogs claiming their latest title.
OHL UNDERWAY: The Ontario Hockey League began its 2019-20 season over the weekend with a number of individuals from northwestern Ontario listed on club rosters.
Longlac’s Tyler Tucker, who recently attended the St. Louis Blues training camp, is back four his fourth OHL campaign with the Barrie Colts.
The veteran defenceman racked up four assists over the weekend in a pair of Colts victories helping him reach the 100-point plateau as he now boasts 18 tallies and 82 helpers to his credit in 191 games played.
You also have Rainy River’s Cole Tymkin, who too is skating in his fourth year in major junior with the London Knights.
The 20-year-old forward and former SIJHL Rookie of the Year with the Fort Frances Lakers, has one assist through two games and has 82 points, including 32 goals, in his first 168 OHL contests.
After helping the Thunder Bay North Stars win the SIJHL’s Bill Salonen Cup, Lakehead product Michael Stubbs has cracked the roster of the Mississauga Steelheads and was in search of first OHL point heading into a Sunday meeting with the Sudbury Wolves.
Meanwhile the North Bay Battalion has goaltender Christian Cicigoi in their line-up.
He suffered a setback in his debut Saturday vs. the Soo Greyounds.
Another former SIJHLer, in defenceman Matthew Halushak, is on the Sault Ste. Marie list, but is still waiting to make his first appearance in the regular season.
Behind the bench, Thunder Bay’s Trevor Letowski began his 10th year coaching in the OHL on a positive note as his Windsor Spitfires defeated the Peterborough Petes Saturday night in their home opener.