Gibby's Corner

Thoughts From Behind The Bench With Head Coach Brett Gibson

End Of Season
2008-05-05

I apologize for the late update to the Coach's Blog, but recruiting and much needed family time crept in. I do have a lot of very exciting news to update Gaels hockey fans with though.

League awards, I am very pleased to congratulate Ryan Gibb, Brady Olsen and our coaching staff for the recognition they received from the OUA.

Jonathon Lawrance, I have named captain to replace Jeff Ovens for the upcoming season. Jeff will be making the transition to coaching next season and will be now helping me out in a different role.

Alumni, I also apologize but you will be receiving a letter in the next month with an update on the season and where we will be heading next year. I cannot "Thank" the alumni enough for the support you provided in a very stressful and important year for our program. I will be calling on you again for support this year, as we will be heading to the Maritimes to challenge 3 Atlantic Canada opponents to see actually how far our program has come. The school will not be funding the majority of this trip and the cost is close to $20,000 dollars. It will not only be a very valuable lesson for our team hockey wise, but a very valuable life experience as well.

Recruitment has gone very well because of the winning exposure our program received last season. To date and in the order they committed to Queens, Scott Kenway, Ben Munroe, Sean McAlister, Jake Wright, Brandon Perry, and Danny Morgan are on board. The next round of admissions will be coming out and I am still looking to add 3 to 4 more.

Brady Olsen who I feel may leave Queens as one of the most gifted players to play for the tri-colours has signed a pro contract to play for the Rapid City Rush. The Rush, are a brand new expansion team in the Central Hockey League "AA" based in Rapid City, South Dakota. I wish Brady the best of luck and will be following his season very closely.

In closing I want to wish Jon, Pat, Alex, Brady, Jonathon, Jeff, and Rob the best of luck in their future endeavours. You guys are a big reason for the turn around of Queen’s hockey and I wish you all the best. Please stay tuned, as I will be posting new recruits, as well as our exhibition schedule for the upcoming season. Have a great summer and look forward to seeing everyone come September.

Final Game Vs. McGill
2008-02-23

It is hard to put into words the best season in Queens hockey since 1982. The guys last night played their hearts out in McGill but it just wasn't meant to be. They bought into every system and played it to perfection. 2 mistakes led to the 2 goals and good teams capatalize off of mistakes. When I look back to the season now I cannot be prouder of these group of guys and the adversity they have gone through. They could have easily gone the other way and felt bad for themselves but they refused to. Graduating players are the hardest part to deal with for a coach at this level. Jeff Ovens is the ultimate leader and challenged me every day. Alex Archibald was a kid when I first met him whose confidence was a question mark, now he knows how good he can be and the sky will be the limit for him. Brady Olsen will go on to play pro hockey and his skills were fun to watch this year and I will do whatever it takes to get him where he wants to go. Jon Asselstine got to have fun again in a sport he loves and will have I am sure great memories of his time at Queens. Rob Catallo is going to be very successful in whatever avenue of life he chooses, never once did he ever question his role on this team. Pat McDonnough was our best dman for 2 years and his smile and love to be around the rink will always be something I will remember. John Clarke came to the rink every day battling through numerous injuries and worked hard to remain positive through challenging times. Their are other guys who are still uncertain about whether they are coming back. For the returning players I challenge them to match what their graduating players brought. We will becoming back in the 2008-2009 season as Mid-East champs and teams will no longer take us lightly. Thank you to all the Staff, Jason Friedmann (who set up our website so that I could have my blog this season), Alumni and Parents who made this season what it was. I will be updating the website with information about recruits and schedule throughout the summer. It is only 12 hours since we have been beat out and I am already excited for next year!

McGill Vs. Queens
2008-02-20

McGill vs Queens; I dont think students at either school would want any other matchup. McGill has very much took it to us over the 3 years I have coached here. In order to change that trend we need to play a near perfect game. Their power-play is very much their strength and if given to many opportunities it will be a matter of time before they capatalize. From our stand point we are very much the underdog and not given to much chance of winning this series. With that said, my group is a very determind group and have been preparing for this opportunity for 2 weeks now. I look forward to the series and I feel the outcomes from the regular season will be different from the play-offs

Ryerson, Carr-Harris Cup
2008-02-07

I apologize for the late update to my blog, but to be honest we had work to do as a team. Saturday night in Ryerson, we were not disciplined at all and it cost us a chance of a play-off spot. After the game on the way home I think it clicked in for the guys. I have talked for the last 3 weeks about not regretting anything you do in life, and I felt if we did not play with a sense of urgency vs. RMC in the upcoming games they would regret it. Monday and Tuesday the guys came to the rink to practice with a business like attitude and had the best practices of the year. It carried over to the Carr-Harris Cup.

The boys came out inspired and played a real solid game in a real hostile environment. The crowed was great and real loud. The boys stepped up and brought home the trophy. Looking back, first winning season since 1982 most teams would feel that it was a successful season. But I know my group and this highlight season is far from over!! Bring on the playoffs!!

@ Toronto, Vs. Carleton
2008-01-27

We are right where we wanted to be at the beginning of the year and that is in a position to capture 1st place in the division. Teams in our division are making it very hard and are playing the best hockey of the year right now. Friday night in Toronto surprised me, as niether team played well at all and they capitalized on the power play twice to take the win. Saturday night was a very strong game for us as I feel every guy on the team really stepped up. 3 guys I felt had their best games of the year when it mattered most. TJ Sutter has been in a year long slump and he got on the scoreboard in the first with a very nice individual effort. Pat Doyle has also had a challenging year but the last 3 games have been his best and he has really stepped his game up. Jon Asselstine has been bothered by a nagging injury and I feel it has caused his play to be inconsistent of late. But Saturday he used his speed and challenged Carleton's D all night. As for week ahead we are going to be able to rest up and rehab some injuries as we are off till Saturday. Ryerson is probably the most improved team in the league and we have difficulties playing in their arena for some reason. However, the guys know the importance of deciding our own fate and with 2 wins we should be able to do that.

RMC Wednesday Night
2008-01-23

The only place to go from "Rock Bottom" is up. I took a lot of heat from some for that statement last week but the 22 guys in our dressing room knew exactly what was meant by it and they responded in a big way last night. Going into a game as important as last night without your Captain, arguably your best defenceman and a high scoring winger, the guys could have definitely packed it in with an excuse. Many guys fought through numerous injuries and most should have not even played. The win last night allowed us the opportunity we wanted and that is a match-up with U of T with first place on the line Friday night. I can't end without talking about Brady Olsen. He has stepped his game up to another level this year and will be mentioned with the top players in the country when awards will be handed out at the end of the year. I am not sure whether he will be turning pro next year or whether he will be back to do his Masters. But in either case, he has been a pleasure to coach and he has put this team on his back. His goal vs. RMC will be posted by the school on YouTube by the start of next year and we will post it here on our website.

RMC, McGill
2008-01-21

It is rock bottom right now for us. We are at a point in the season where guys have to step up their games. We have injuries right now; but to me that is an excuse and instead it should be an opportunity for guys to step up and fill some big roles. Anytime you play McGill with only 16 skaters you are in some trouble, but add to it some questionable goals as well as guys not competing and the score adds up. It is up to the guys now, they need to collectively get together and find way to get wins. RMC, Toronto and Carleton this week, realistically this is our season this week, stay tuned.

Weekend @ Windsor
2008-01-13

It was a very disappointing end to a weekend. As a team we are still learning how to be a top end team in the OUA. It seems throughout this year we take one step forward and then end of taking one step back. After defeating Windsor 8-3 in one of our best games of the season, and with a chance to move 5 points up in our division we came out flat and played our worst game of the season on Saturday night.

Our team is still young and trying to find our identity. The guys now know that just lacing up the skates just does not cut it and we have to match the opposing team�s work ethics to win games. With that said, the Windsor coaches I feel did a great job in preparing their team to play on Saturday and made major adjustments to their game plan.

Friday night they punished our players every time we touched the puck and really did some damage on our players. Saturday they sat back in a trap and capitalized on our mistakes and really frustrated us. We have no time to feel sorry for ourselves though and I don�t think I am going to have to say much to get my team motivated for the next couple games. RMC Wednesday night has been circled on my calendar for a long time now and I am really looking forward to see how my guys respond from this weekend. I know my team and I look forward to Wednesday!"

Hosting Waterloo, Laurier
2008-01-06

After a month off it was back to the grind on the regular season for us this weekend. With Waterloo and Laurier coming into town I knew we were going to have to play our best hockey to compete with them. Friday night we played 56 minutes of real good hockey but it was not good enough against a very deep Waterloo team. 4 breakdowns led to 4 goals for them. Over the break we had worked on creating more offence and shooting more pucks from all over the ice. Waterloo's goalie played very well and the guys bought in to throwing pucks on net, however were unable to convert.

Saturday Night; in the 3 years I have been involved with the team, this was one of the most enjoyable games to coach. With over 6 guys complaining of flu like symptoms and with a team that has been to Nationals the last 2 years coming in, I was very concerned. Ryan Gibb was at his best in the 1st period as we stood around and watched Laurier skate around us. After the 1st we talked as a team and said we had to respect them but also we need to take the play to them. Grant Horvath scored on a great individual play to open the scoring and Jeff Ovens continued to score timely goals as after 2 we were up 2. In the third Brady Olsen scored on a great pass from Asselstine and Jon Lawrance finished it off with a goal into the empty net. Over the weekend our PK was 18-18 while our PP went 2 for 14 which is very strong vs. those 2 teams. Next weekend we are off to Windsor for another tough weekend. But I cannot stress how big of a win this was for our program!

Hosting Concordia, UQTR
2007-12-02

Friday night in Napanee was a trying night for both teams. With the game scheduled for 7:30, both teams arrived at arena at 7 because of the winter storm. The game was pushed back to 8 to allow both teams to get ready. The first period looked like we were on the bus for 6 hours as Ryan Gibb allowed us to stay in the game and only be down 1-0. The second and third we began to take over and pressure their D. In the end we won a must-win game and moved 1 point back of Concordia in the standings. My top 2 players were our best players as Brady Olsen had a hat trick and Ryan Gibb stood tall.

Saturday night saw us struggle again to contain 3 Rivers. At this point in the season we are not at their level. We need to play a boring game with them and limit our mistakes. Brady Morrison continues to have a strong rookie season and made the saves to allow us a shot. Clinton McCullough was by far our strongest player and played his most complete game of the season scoring both our goals on individual efforts. In the end it was a 5-2 defeat.

The break is here and we are sitting in first place. It was a very tough first half playing some of the top teams in the OUA. The second half will determine who makes the play-offs as we have RMC 3 times and Toronto, Ryerson. The guys will need to stay focused over this month off. Happy Holidays to everyone and I look forward to seeing everyone in the second half!!

Concordia, UQTR In Quebec
2007-11-25

I was really worried going into this weekend as we have been hit with the injury bug for the first time this season. I knew guys were going to have to step up and play minutes they were not used to playing. Weather and traffic did not allow us to get to Montreal on Friday until only 10 minutes before warm-up. Combine that with a rookie mistake (won’t mention names BUSHBY) of forgetting the laundry and the recipe for a bad game was there. Jon Asselstine opened the scoring early for us and I felt that was crucial. Jeff Ovens added another goal in the second but Concordia responded again. Back and forth we went with them going ahead with 3 minutes to play. However, Mike Bushby redeemed himself for forgetting the laundry and scored to tie it up on the very next shift! Brady Olsen was the hero again for the second time in OT this season. Ryan Gibb was his usual self and tons of guys stepped up and played great! I felt Jeff Ovens played his best game that I have seen him play in 3 seasons, while playing out of position (winger playing centre) and that is what we needed from our Captain.

Saturday we ran out of gas against a very good UQTR team. Brady Morrison may have turned in the game of the season for any goalie in the CIS. He made 58 saves and probably 28 game breaking saves. We just had nothing left in the tank with only 17 skaters without Jon Lawrance(Knee), Billy Burke (Sick) and Ben Heersink (Sick). Not making excuses and I never will but the guys were just exhausted from the night before and the travel that day to 3 Rivers. Overall I am very proud of my guys this weekend. Anytime you play without your your top 2 centres and a top 4 defensemen it is extremely tough. But these guys showed why they are a first place team.

Vs. Ottawa, McGill
2007-11-18

It is a cliché but all good things come to an end and they did for us on Saturday. With the guys earning 9 of a possible 10 points in the last 5 games we were on a good run. But Saturday Night the guys learned the hard way that if they get away from our system they will have a very tough time. I feel the guys got wrapped up in everything but what was important and that being playing a well structured game. McGill was a very good team and really capitalized on the power-play. The atmosphere was great and it was really appreciated by the guys.

On Friday we played 30 minutes and it was good enough to earn a point but not good enough to win the game. This was an off weekend for us but with the point on Friday we are where we wanted be and that is first place. This weekend we are playing one of the hottest teams in the OUA in Concordia and arguably the best team in the OUA in UQTR. I hope the guys learned a valuable lesson this week and will respond this weekend.

@ Ottawa, Carleton
2007-11-11

For the first time this season we got to play against the other side of our conference. In Ottawa on Friday Night, Ryan Gibb was on top of his game and two hard working goals were all we needed need to come away with the victory. We are starting to develop a real rivalry with Ottawa from last year’s playoff series and the games are starting to become very physical. I was not happy with the amount of shots we gave up but I felt it did have a lot to do with the amount of power plays they had.

Saturday we finally were able to put a team away. We capitalized on our chances and really weathered the storm in the first period. I went with Brady Morrison in net and he made saves look easy and really looked sharp. I felt that Clinton McCullough really used his speed well and was rewarded with 2 goals as a result. Blake Pronk also had 2 goals and is becoming one of our most reliable penalty killers. I am happy with the results of the last couple weekends but we will be reviewing film this week as we cannot continue to give up 40 shots on goal.

I encourage all students and fans to come out Saturday night to our annual "Kill McGill Night". It will give us a real indication of how well we are playing.

Hosting UofT, Ryerson
2007-11-04

The guys responded in a big way this week. Wednesday we had a meeting as a group to discuss the first 1/4 of the season. We all collectively agreed that we were underachieving as a group. I wanted us to get back to what we are known as and that is a hard team to play against. Friday night I thought we played our most complete game of the season against a very good Varsity Blues team. I felt Jon Asselstine answered a challenge that was put his way and played the best hockey he has ever played at Queen’s over the last 2 years. The return of Billy Burke also solidified our line combinations. Saturday night vs Ryerson was a dog fight as Ryerson is a very scrappy team. I felt for the most part we stuck to a system and got some timely goals. In goal I went with a gut feeling and put Ryan Gibb in for both games. I feel our goaltending from both Brady and Ryan has been great and I am still looking to utilize both of them all year. Next week in Ottawa we are going to be able to benchmark where we are as a team, as both are teams we will be battling with to get a play-off spot.

Weekend @ Toronto, Ryerson
2007-10-28

This was a very disappointing weekend for the Men’s Hockey Team. All teams are finding ways to pull out points and we are struggling to score. I made an adjustment to the line combinations on Sunday and found one line that seemed to click with Jeff Ovens moving to the wing with Jon Lawrance and Brady Olsen. They had a very strong game up front. I thought also our defence played well over the weekend. We need to find some secondary scoring and with the return this weekend of Billy Burke I feel that will be the spark we need. This weekend is crucial coming up and it will be my job this week to make the guys play this weekend’s games as if they are Game 7's.

Weekend Vs. Brock, Guelph
2007-10-21

Friday night in Napanee we ran into a very good Brock squad. They were by far the top skating and transition team we have faced this year. I felt again and it is getting old, by the third period we figured it out we could skate with them and started to take over the play. But with good teams you cannot take periods off. The end result was a 4-0 loss but we proved we could compete with the top teams.

Saturday night was a tough pill to swallow. Both teams played a sloppy first period with odd man rushes and high quality scoring chances at both ends. Brady Morrison I felt was the best player on the ice for either team, as he made saves look routine. The difference I felt was the lack of focus and drive by our power-play units. Puck movement is crucial with any successful power-play and that is what we are missing. Brady Olsen and Blake Pronk gave us the lead. But another trend that is discouraging is that we could not put another team away. Next 4 games are against Ryerson and Toronto and could decide early on who solidifies themselves in the Mid-east conference.

Weekend At UOIT, York
2007-10-14

"I was really nervous going into the weekend road games. Anytime a first year expansion team comes into a league their first game will always be their best. With David Branch CHL Commissioner and TSN's Dan O'Toole in the building to drop the ceremonial face-off I knew we would have to weather the initial storm. OUIT came out strong and took the play to us. Ryan Gibb was at his best and we got out of the 1st tied 0-0. The second saw us give up a shorthanded goal and play a poor period. In the third Brady Olsen took charge and potted 2 power-play goals. Like last year in Ottawa; OUIT scored with 3 seconds left in the period to tie the game and send it to overtime. Nothing was settled in overtime so off to the shoot-out for the first time in Queen's history. Pat Doyle was the only scorer and Ryan Gibb made it known that he is one of the best in the country in net. 3-2 final in shootout.

Saturday afternoon saw to very tired teams playing as York also went to a shoot-out with RMC the previous night. It all came down to who wanted it more! In the first 2 periods I was not happy the way we were playing. We were not moving our feet and were watching too much. In net for us was Brady Morrison and he was the reason we were in the game. In the third though the boys started to move their feet and dominated the period. Blake Pronk scored his first of the year on a great pass from Pat Doyle. Off to overtime we went again, this time it only took 2:36 as Brady Olsen again stepped up and scored and beautiful backhand goal. 4 point weekend but the guys learned a lesson on how good they can be when they want to work and how average we can be when we don’t want to move our feet.

It does not get any easier for us next week as Guelph and Brock are off to great starts. Friday night also marks our first home game in Napanee at 7:30.

Season Opener Vs. Western
2007-10-07

I wanted the boys to play a sound game and to slow the game down. I feel we were able to accomplish this for the first 50 minutes of the game by holding the Mustangs to only 1 goal through that time. Overall I was very happy with the team’s effort tonight. We will be looking at the game film and going over some unnecessary penalties we took in the end that cost us getting back into the game. Next week on the road we are going to be in tough as we travel to play UOIT and York.

Preseason @ RMC
2007-09-26

The game itself was sloppy with all the penalties in the second. it allowed RMC to slow the pace of the game down and play their style of hockey. With 3 regulars out of the line-up it gave players a chance to prove their position on the team. The team as of Thursday will be down to the final roster as we have a week to prepare for the home opener. Billy Burke will be returning to the line-up again this season when the football team concludes their season. Overall I am happy with the way the exhibition season has gone so far and am looking forward to a week of practice to prepare for a great team from Western.

Preseason Vs. RMC
2007-09-22

I feel we were a little sloppy in the first 2 periods and took some lazy penalties. A big 5-3 penalty kill to start the 3rd allowed us to gain momentum and we played a solid period. We are getting close to the season and I will be evaluating the next game to make my last decisions on who is going to be on the opening day roster.

Preseason Vs. Carleton
2007-09-18

Really happy about the effort the team put in with only 17 skaters. The end result is not the key in the exhibition season it is time to teach the guys systems and for them to buy in. I feel our new recruits showed why they were brought in and that our goaltending is going to allow us to win games.