Mason developing new career | BP Sports activities Niagara
Mason Howard could think of no far better situation to start off his coaching occupation than with the Thorold Blackhawks.
The 22-12 months-previous London indigenous began his junior profession less than coach Scott Barnes with the Hawks, so when Barnes named final summertime about the likelihood of coming on board as an assistant, Howard was fast to say yes.
“Barnes gave me a get in touch with, we chatted, and right here I am on the bench supporting out coaching,” Howard mentioned.
Barnes played for Barnes as 16-yr-aged rookie immediately after becoming drafted by the Niagara IceDogs and produced promptly to the level he was enjoying for the IceDogs the up coming time.
“I’ve experienced a terrific partnership with Barnes,” Howard reported. “When I still left the IceDogs past 12 months I achieved out to him suitable absent. I skated with them three periods right before I was moved to St. Catharines. Barnes and Chris (assistant coach Chris Goulet) have normally been very good to me. They taken care of me nicely and often had my back so I felt likely back again to help them out was an easy choice for me to make.”
Barnes was a lot more than pleased to have Howard appear on board.
“He experienced a record of taking part in at a large stage and realized our league and required to get associated,” Barnes claimed. “I believe at this degree any superior hockey minds you can get on board, it’s well worth it.”
Howard played two complete seasons for the IceDogs before wrapping up his junior career with the St. Catharines Falcons previous 12 months the place was component of a Sutherland Cup championship.
“Obviously, going out on top was truly amazing profitable a Sutherland Cup with St. Catharines,” he said. “I had a few teams reach out to me about actively playing but I was at the position in my career where I desired to get my schooling carried out and switch to the other aspect of hockey, acquiring and coaching and hopefully relocating up coaching or getting a GM a single working day.”
Howard is majoring in activity management at Niagara School.
“I’ve normally desired to get into coaching when I was accomplished taking part in,” he explained. “I needed the capability to get into the coaching aspect as very well as discover the management facet. I truly feel doing the job with Barnes has definitely served with the coaching side and then I’m in school for the other aspect of it.
“I’m checking all the bullets when it arrives to my potential.”
Howard has ample working experience as a chief from his taking part in times, which has also aided with the changeover.
“My rookie year in Niagara we had a quite superior staff. We loaded up to go on a operate and then the 12 months following we were a young team,” Howard stated. “I experienced to change my function from a rookie to remaining a person of the oldest men on the workforce, a veteran nearly, so I’ve been an more mature dude on the crew given that my second yr in the OHL assisting and educating younger fellas. It was generally something I savored and I have had a great deal of expertise with that.”
Barnes claimed he bought a thumbs up from Falcons mentor Tyler Bielby about Howard’s contributions to the Falcons.
“Talking to Bielby I consider he was pretty much a participant/assistant a very little bit from what he was ready to provide them so it’s good to get a younger man who is in touch with the game,” Barnes explained.
Howard feels becoming just just one yr taken off from the activity — he was a teammate of recent Blackhawk Jagger North in St. Catharines — is a massive in addition.
“I’m a young man but the men have regard for me in the space and know I have gained,” Howard said. “All those people guys are there to get much better and I’m there to get much better as a coach and they believe in me more than enough when I’m chatting to them and educating them. They have that respect and they know I was a first rate player and just making an attempt to aid them out.”
Howard tracks experience-offs for the duration of the activity when Barnes and Goulet cope with the forwards and defencemen, respectively.
“I actually take pleasure in just being back again about the men,” Howard said. “It’s like I’m nonetheless on the staff. I get to hold out with the guys and go to tactics and online games. I just don’t get to enjoy any longer. It’s much more of a teaching purpose which I delight in a lot since I like supporting other fellas develop.”
The Blackhawks dropped an 8-1 decision at Caledonia Wednesday in the opener of their Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League very best-of-7 quarter-ultimate collection, but Barnes isn’t about to worry.
“Whether you drop 1- or 8-1, it’s however only just one activity,” Barnes mentioned. “We experienced 3 breakaways when we had been down 2- and could have been up 3-2. We had lots of odds. We need to have been tied or forward by the 10-moment mark.
“I never consider we’re discouraged way too a lot. The moment it bought to 5-, it is more about obtaining all set for tomorrow and earning guaranteed we match them bodily.”
Match 2 is in Port Colborne Friday at 7:30 p.m. with Activity 3 again in Caledonia Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
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