It’s been quite the year for the Elgin Middlesex Chiefs Minor Peewee AAA team (b. 2008). Not only have they dominated their regular season play in the Alliance, but the team has also fared well in tournaments – most notably winning the International Silver Stick tournament in Whitby, Ontario in late November/early December.
At that tournament, the Minor Peewees went 6-1 overall en route to earning the championship trophy, which was capped with a 5-1 victory over the Peterborough Petes in the final. That followed a 4-0 semi-final win over the Detroit Little Caesars squad. In their six Silver Stick games, the Chiefs outscored their opponents by a 28-11 margin.
Meanwhile, the Minor Peewees have simply dominated during regular season play in the Alliance. In fact, they’d yet to lose a game from the beginning of September up until the time of this writing, in late December, going a remarkable 21-0-1 during that span. Their only two losses, as of late December, had come in tournament play.
“We have a lot of smart players who are very skilled and very coachable,” says Johnny Warren, the team’s first-year head coach. “They’re really a very fun group to coach. This team is filled with amazing kids.”
The Chiefs, who play their home games out of Komoka, have their eyes on some pretty big goals this year, including finishing first in the regular season and ultimately winning an Alliance Championship.
“We’re focused on continuing to improve and develop – as individuals and as a team,” says Warren. “And, of course, having a lot of fun along the way.”
Meanwhile, Warren continues to serve as one of many talented coaches at Snipe Academy (which also includes a recent London Knights alum, Alex Turko, among others), helping develop the skills of hockey players from around the region. The success of the Minor Peewee Chiefs is a testament to the knowledge and coaching success that Warren – and all instructors at Snipe – share with youth hockey players.
Contributions by Johnny Warren
