KAMLOOPS —- It’s a new start for the Kamloops Storm.
New owners, new coach, new season.
Steve Gainey has taken over the bench and will lead his squad into their season opening weekend at home, against the Golden Rockets and Chase Heat.
The Storm are coming off a 19-27-1-2 season in 2018-19 and a second straight fourth place finish in the Birks Division and early playoff elimination.
Longtime owner Barry Dewar was hit with a lengthy suspension over a tampering accusation — and for Dewar, who had been trying to sell the team for several years, that was the final straw.
This summer he sold to the Parallel Storm Hockey Group.
The new owners hired Steve Gainey as head coach.
Gainey worked as an assistant through that turbulent 2018-19 season, and is now tasked with putting a positive spin on the new look Storm.
“We’re really just trying to lay the foundation of our systems and expectations around the ice.” says Gainey. “We want to build some habits of what the guys are going to do when they’re out there, so once the game starts they can go back into an instinctual mode and play the game with some energy and passion.”
The Storm played three pre-season games, going two-and-one —– giving Gainey an idea of his talent base going into the new season.
“We’ve got good depth overall.” says the coach. “We’ve got a good group of guys that like each other and are willing to compete for each other. We have a good overall group.”
Therran Kincross is a 20-year old third year veteran on the Storm.
The teams leading scorer last season he likes the idea of playing under the Gainey banner.
“Steve brings a lot to the table.” says Kincross. “He’s very experienced, he played in the NHL, his Dad was an NHL legend. He’s (Steve) very intence. He brings the best out of us.”
Yewta Plamondon played with the Storm as a 16-year old two seasons ago, leading the team in goal scoring.
His 17-year old season was spent with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in the BCHL.
It wasn’t an artistic success for Plamondon, or the Silverbacks —- appearing in only 39 games with two goals and two assists.
But he feels what he learned at the higher level will help him coming back to the Storm for his 18 year old season.
“The most important skill that I learned was consistency” says Plamondon. “Consistency is probably the biggest part of the game, and you always have to be prepared. That’s another skill that you have to learn once you play higher levels of hockey is preparation is number one. Top of the list.”
“He’s back here to re-establish himself as a goal scorer at this level.” says Gainey about Plamondon. “Kincross is our top goal scorer from last year, and he’s looking to up his totals going forward here, and everything points to that being the case right now.”
It was Vince Lombardi who said “If you can accept losing, then you can’t win. Winning is a habit, unfortunately so is losing.”
So it all goes back to the habits that Gainey wants to instill in his team, moving forward into a new era of Storm hockey.
“We shoot for everything, and we believe every team is beatable on any given night.” says Gainey. “And that’s a good reminder for guys coming up behind us. Not to take any nights off, and if you’re not giving your best, you can be beaten too.”
“Every year that you don’t expect to win a championship,” says Therran Kincross, “then you’re not doing it right.”
