Sports

While the National Capital Junior Hockey League was on hiatus over the holiday season, the Vankleek Hill Cougars coaching staff was busy behind the scenes making a variety of changes.

Perhaps the biggest change to the Cougars roster is the lack of the team's top point getter, Pier-Olivier Poulin, who requested his release from the team in order to pursue a future with the Alexandria Glens of the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League.

The Vankleek Hill Cougars rang in the new year with a convincing 5-1 victory over the North Dundas Rockets. Cougars head coach Marc Berniqué was content with his team's performance in their defensive zone throughout the game and was proud to see his team play some inspired hockey.

"Our guys played more inspired hockey and were able to put together a good 60 minutes of hockey," he said.

Updated with soundslide featuring interview with Bruins coach Claude Julien.

It certainly wasn't their usual practice rink, but local hockey fans and students were thrilled to see the Boston Bruins arrive for a morning skate at the Canadian International Hockey Academy in Rockland on Friday, December 16.

Council members approved a recommendation from the township's recreation director on Wednesday, December 14, to renew the arena canteen contract for another three years and compensate its operator for lost revenue in late September.

The $1,000 credit was requested by the operator as the arena's ice was delayed this season because of two banquets held for the International Plowing Match.

"In a normal year, the ice would have been ready on September 8 and this year it was ready on October 5," explained recreation director Janis Renwick.

The Vankleek Hill Cougars seem to have made a home for themselves in the basement of the National Capital Junior Hockey League (NCJHL) standings.

The team currently sits in seventh place in the nine-team league and after losing both games this past weekend, head coach Marc Berniqué is simply stunned.

While it may look good on paper, as the Vankleek Hill Cougars managed to accumulate three out of four points this past weekend, head coach Marc Berniqué is not entirely content with his team's performance.

The Cougars played back-to-back home games, beginning with their rivals from St-Isidore on Friday night.

Of the 20,000 junior hockey players in the Ottawa region, statistics indicate more than 3,000 concussions will occur this season alone.

Of those concussions, some players will suffer more than one. And many of these players will return before the damage has disappeared, making them vulnerable to a second concussion.

In fact, according to an Ottawa-area doctor who specializes in concussions and pediatric sports injuries, 85 per cent of those concussions will reoccur within seven days.

The North Dundas Rockets are the latest team forced to recognize the Vankleek Hill Cougars' offensive talent has the potential to be the best in the league.

After handing the previously-undefeated Cumberland Bandits their first loss of the season by a convincing margin last weekend, the Cougars continued to light the lamp at an alarming rate on Saturday, November 26 against the Rockets.

Although the Cougars currently sit eighth in the National Capital Junior Hockey League (NCJHL) standings, the team continues to demonstrate its ability to leave that basement - despite a dismal record thus far.