Niagara Icedogs 2024-25 Season, Part I

[dogs777]

When you look at the Central standings, I bet a lot of people would haved guessed in the preseason that the order would be flipped upside down

Definitely expected and still do Brampton Barrie to be 1,2 the rest was/is up in the air

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

A shame

It really is a shame. It will take a while to get the average person interested again. I ran into a friend last night and he asked me about the Dogs and he said he just read a story in the news about our excellent team. So there is some renewed interest in the team but its going to take several months before people come back.

 

[Leviathan899]

As soon as he stops making OA trades for a loss is when we should stop recognizing them. Ignoring it doesn’t mean it didn't happen.

I can’t stand DD but to be fair, trading for a 19 year old isn’t the same as trading for an OA. Niagara got a year out of Bryant plus the opportunity to flip him. Ptbo gets him for rest of the season and that’s it.

VanVliet has been very good in the defensive zone for Niagara imo. And the upgrades to the D as a whole has made the team much, much, much better.

Bringing in Brauti was the best move Niagara has made in 5 years.

Bryant surprised by trade; He named captain (updated) | BP Sports Niagara

The Niagara IceDogs dealt captain Gavin Bryant to the Peterborough Petes for two draft picks. Photo: OHL IMAGES. The Niagara IceDogs solved their overage logjam, dealing captain Gavin Bryant to the Peterborough Petes Tuesday. The IceDogs will receive a third-round selection in 2026 (Guelph) and...

www.bpsportsniagara.com

With no disrespect to the Petes, but what a terrible thing for the IceDogs to do to Gavin Bryant in his OA year. He IS NOT impressed!

Gavin, given the captaincy last year, played injured, out of necessity and character, for all but a handful of games last season and delivers a career year (62GP – 21G – 54pts). He had to endure the worst of seasons; remained positive before and after every game; has off-season surgery; attends every function to promote the upcoming season; is among one of the most respected captains in IceDogs’ history; launches Gav’s Corner and DDD rewards him by discarding GB to the last place Petes.

The IceDogs had smarter OA options to move on from then Gavin Bryant. No class Darren! Not surprised only Walters clients will play for you.


Niagara IceDogs Captain Gavin Bryant Launches 'Gav's Corner' - Niagara IceDogs


Read the story above.

I do agree moving him to Ptbo should have been absolutely last option. If it’s true they didn’t consult Bryant about it before, that’s bad. But it’s DD, he’s a clown.

 

[Leviathan899]

I think Sam does have a lot of inside information about the IceDogs and it frustrates him to see how bad things really are with DD at the helm. Some of you may think the team is doing well now so everything is good. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

The IceDogs asset management is horrendous. If a GM of any other team made the moves that DD has made, they would be fired. We don't even have our full compliment of picks and yet the IceDogs have been out of the playoffs for 4 seasons. We should be full of 2nd and 3rd round picks.

Most of the early players they draft belong to one agent, which restricts the pool of talent. They won't draft U.S. players and they barely use the import draft.

The in-game experience is nothing like it was under the Burke's and attendance is plummeting.

Now I will admit that things have improved a little this season. DD has brought in a solid coaching staff and it appears he is spending a little more on the players this season. The in-game experience seems to have slightly improved over last season and the summer fan fest at least shows he is trying to win the fans. But DD still has a long way to go (doing real media interviews and being honest with the fans would help).

I am enjoying the winning this season but to be honest, I am extremely worried about the future of the IceDogs here in Niagara. Sometimes once a team starts losing fans, it snowballs and the team can't be saved.

Can you elaborate on the in-game experience? I haven’t been to the meridian centre in a few years now.

How is this a surplus of picks? It's basically the bare mininum number of picks a team should have for any give draft year. There is no surplus of picks to acquire high-end talent (this year or next year) without severely crippling this franchise long term. Please take some time to get the facts before posting

ICEDOGS DRAFT CAPITAL
25: - , 3, 4, 4
26: 2, 3, 3, 4
27: 2, 3, 4, 4
28: 2, 3, 4



This is a surplus…that allow teams the flexible to add high-end talent to compete for championships if they choice to do so.

BRAMPTION DRAFT CAPITAL
25: 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5
26: 2, 2, 3, 3, 5
27: 3, 4, 5, 5
28: 2, 2, 5

BRANTFORD DRAFT CAPITAL
25: -, 3
26: 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5
27: 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5
28: 3, 4, 5

KINGSTON DRAFT CAPITAL
25: -, 3, 4, 5
26: 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5
27: 2, 3, 5, 5
28: 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4

SUBBURY DRAFT CAPITAL
25: 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5
26: 3, 3, 4, 5, 5
27: 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 5
28: 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5

You could package all those 2nds and 3rds, plus a young guy like Galiyanov to go for it this year, and then next year or year after unload guys like He, Czata, Roobroeck, Brauti for picks.

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

Can you elaborate on the in-game experience? I haven’t been to the meridian centre in a few years now.

They got rid of the company that provided the roving camera crew and the popular announcer/hostess. Concessions got more expensive and less variety.

Lots of little things are gone.

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

Flores in net, Paris still out.

 

[three dog night]

Two goals for Leshko including the game winner has the Icedogs shade Oshawa 4 to 3 .He also scored twice for the Dogs before 2,748 fans at the Meridian Centre. Next game tomorrow night in Sarnia.

 

[dogs777]

Tough next 3 games coming (based on our performances this year)

 

[knowescape]

Except for one large group in Sec. 116 there will not be a big crowd tonight.

This is to be expected. The actual attendance looked under 2,000 again which means a significant loss of income.

 

[three dog night]

Two goals for Leshko including the game winner has the Icedogs shade Oshawa 4 to 3 .He also scored twice for the Dogs before 2,748 fans at the Meridian Centre. Next game tomorrow night in Sarnia.

Acutely attendance 2,788 in the box score

 

[knowescape]

Acutely attendance 2,788 in the box score

Got to look around the building, place was sad.

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

Got to look around the building, place was sad.

True, similar to last season.

On the plus side the people who are attending are really into the game. Good solid hockey fans and not just there for a night out.

How do you get a diving penalty when you were interfered with and tripped? That was crazy,

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

Coach Ben talking about the OA decision:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849848156701458594

 

[knowescape]

True, similar to last season.

On the plus side the people who are attending are really into the game. Good solid hockey fans and not just there for a night out.

How do you get a diving penalty when you were interfered with and tripped? That was crazy,

I disagree that it was similar to last year. There is a noticeable decline in physical attendance and this is especially troubling if indeed it was a voucher night. Before anyone goes off on me for being there myself, I did not pay for a ticket, I got it free.

To answer your other question, there are two components two an Unsportsmanlike Conduct - Diving. The first is where there was no penalty to the opposing team, the player dives and attempts to sell conduct that never happened. That wasn't the case last night. The second component is embellishment, where yes, the player was the victim of a foul, but then attempted to make it look worse than it actually was. So yes, Sennecke got called on the interference but Czata oversold the reaction. I don't blame him, sometimes it takes theatrics to get the attention of the officials, this time it was a bit too blatant, honestly.

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

I attend most every home game for the last 10 plus years. Last year there was several times when there were fewer people in attendance than last night. I am talking early in the season.

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

Dogs winning 2 nothing after 1.

Under appreciated NVV with a goal.

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

WIN!!

9 and 2 now. Amazing

 

[StingUpdates]

Quality team you got. Quite the goalie tandem too as Robertson played incredible. Your Fs are very entertaining. Brauti is a good one on D.

 

[bigsportsfan]

If IceDog fans think Gavin is not extremely upset that he was completely disrespected and blindsided by this organization, you are giving DDD a pass he DOES NOT deserve!

It is very interesting reading the quotes from Gavant Bryant in the St. Catharines and Peterborough newspapers.

From the St. Catharines Standard - First place IceDogs trade captain: Kevin He named on-ice leader after Gavin Bryant traded to Peterborough

“I think the shock was definitely there. The last couple of months leading up to the call, I was definitely made a little unaware than I thought I was going to be,” he recalled of hearing the news from IceDogs general manager Wes Consorti in a call on Monday.
“I thought the communication was going to be a little better. It was a random call from Wes.”

From the Peterborough Examiner - https://www.thepeterboroughexaminer...cle_57a4c794-bb73-5abb-a5ec-be90658a5b9d.html

“I was out and the team was doing well, but I was still wearing the captain’s C and I was still being told certain things by certain people. But at the end of the day, they went in a different direction and obviously moved me to Peterborough,” he said, not revealing who he was referring to.

IceDogs management really has a lot to learn in terms of treating the players better. There was no need to blindside Bryant with the trade. He was still injured and wasn't playing yet so they could have told him that he might be traded.

 

[bigsportsfan]

The IceDogs are a competitive and still improving team that will return 16 players in the current line up next season; plus, at least 3-‘08s in Humphries, Frasca, and Hotles. I would expect an ‘09-1st and at least one import as well.
A slight pick surplus is not a negative.

A slight surplus is negative when the team has missed the playoffs for 4 straight seasons.

 

[bigsportsfan]

This is to be expected. The actual attendance looked under 2,000 again which means a significant loss of income.

With DD's debt level from buying the team, you have to think cash flow is getting tight.

I disagree that it was similar to last year. There is a noticeable decline in physical attendance and this is especially troubling if indeed it was a voucher night. Before anyone goes off on me for being there myself, I did not pay for a ticket, I got it free.

I agree. There appears to be less fans in the stands this season.

 

[knowescape]

With DD's debt level from buying the team, you have to think cash flow is getting tight.

I'm thinking he's upside down currently. He'll be paying out more per game than he's bringing in. The Burke's did the same when they first bought the team but their debt level was waaaaay less.

 

[beastintheeast]

With DD's debt level from buying the team, you have to think cash flow is getting tight.


I agree. There appears to be less fans in the stands this season.

A good part of a lack of fans is fans bashing the team and owner.

Let's remember, we've come a long way and we finally have a team that we can be proud of and cheer for. It's a time for support and pride, not criticism.

Did he make mistakes when he first joined the team? Yes, but did the OHL do him any favours with their punishments and fines? NOT A CHANCE.

Remember, we have a young team with some promising stars who are here to entertain us. Yes, there were challenges and the team's performance was not up to par in the past, but let's focus on the potential and the bright future ahead.

It's important to remember that Sunday afternoon games are a shared experience among many OHL teams. Teams like Ottawa and Kingston have been dealing with this for as long as they've been around. We're not alone in this.

Enjoy what you have cheer for them and tell everyone about the great coaching and the players that are going to be stars so that others want to attend.

I swear this could be a team that is Guaranteed and M CUP birth and winning every game and some of you would still be bashing them.

Don't forget there are other cities that would love to have your team that are not presently OHL cities how will you feel if they move

 

[knowescape]

A good part of a lack of fans is fans bashing the team and owner.

The team? No. Mostly I felt sorry for any player drafted to the IceDogs. They carried the weight of so many losses in their hearts and all the while DDD was more concerned about cutting corners.

I'm glad Niagara has a decent team this year, but I don't trust the owner or how he is managing things. I feel like he is one or two changes away from where he was and at any minute he'll step on his crank again.

Don't forget there are other cities that would love to have your team that are not presently OHL cities how will you feel if they move

Thanks to the wisdom of the city of St. Catharines, the lease is fairly iron clad. Not worried about that level of fear mongering. We could have a different ownership group come in and take over but buying out the next ten years isn't realistic so that is just a scare tactic that doesn't worry me.

 

[beastintheeast]

The team? No. Mostly I felt sorry for any player drafted to the IceDogs. They carried the weight of so many losses in their hearts and all the while DDD was more concerned about cutting corners.

I'm glad Niagara has a decent team this year, but I don't trust the owner or how he is managing things. I feel like he is one or two changes away from where he was and at any minute he'll step on his crank again.

I think the big difference is that they have a coach who has credibility and a GM trying to get his footing. Also, remember that he is not a GM and can not act as one, so he cannot make GM decisions. I think if he tried to do anything that hurt the product right now, he would have trouble with the coach, if not the coach and GM.

Thanks to the wisdom of the city of St. Catharines, the lease is fairly iron clad. Not worried about that level of fear mongering. We could have a different ownership group come in and take over but buying out the next ten years isn't realistic so that is just a scare tactic that doesn't worry me.

Man, that is sweet. I was not saying that so much as that fans should be happy to have a team to cheer for that seems to be on a good path with a good on-ice staff and GM at this point.
It is funny in other threads I have been called MISTER GLOOM AND DOOM and I am near the level of some people on here.