MUSKEGON TWP. - Often new coaches replace former coaches who did not do particularly well, and some rebuilding is in order.
That’s definitely not the case for Dustin Langlois, the new head coach of the Reeths-Puffer hockey team.
Last year the Rockets, under former coach Ryan Martin, finished with a 19-6-1 record, and a lot of key players from that team are back this season.
Having so many talented and experienced players on the roster promises to make Langlois’ first season an exciting one.
Tyler Tindall (7)
“We have a lot of depth, and four (offensive) lines that can go at any time,” said Langlois, whose team will open the season on Wednesday night against Grand Rapids Christian at Muskegon’s Trinity Health Arena. “We have a lot of speed and smarts.
“We have been implementing some new coach philosophies and systems and there’s been a little bit of a learning curve, but we have a lot of smarts. You usually have to explain drills more, but everybody latched on to what we were doing. It’s crazy how they responded.”
Last season the Rockets, with a lot of younger guys playing key roles, lost their first two games, but quickly rebounded with six wins in the next seven games, and ended the regular season with nine wins in 10 games.
They finished the regular season in second place in the O-K Conference Fischer Division, then wrapped things up with a heart-breaking 3-2 loss to Traverse City West in the first round of Division 1 regionals.
The Rockets’ great season was partially fueled by the emergence of three big point producers – forwards Tyler Tindall (29 goals, 25 assists), Jaxon Stone (23 goals, 27 assists) and Eli Cuti (10 goals, 24 assists).
Jaxon Stone (13)
All three are back this season, which means Reeths-Puffer should have no shortage of offense.
There will also be some talented newcomers on the forward lines, including junior transfer Trenton Hanks, who apparently also has a knack for finding the net.
“He’s a huge addition,” Coach Langlois said. “He’s a gritty player who will fit right into the fast pace. He put up some really good numbers for the Junior Lumberjacks. He’s an all-out competitor.”
The R-P defense will be a little thin and inexperienced at the start of the season, which is why Langlois has moved senior Avery Freeland, who was a forward last year, to the blue line.
The leader of the defense will undoubtedly be Connor Stawski, a 6-foot-7 senior who is tough for opponents to get around. Stawski was also an offensive force last season, recording 26 assists.
Eli Cuti
“We’re going to lean on him a lot,” Langlois said about Stawski. “He’s a machine back there. He has a good knowledge of the game.”
Junior Jake Lee and sophomore Kaeden Benner, both returning from last year, will also play important roles on defense while younger players develop.
Some fans might have assumed that goaltending might be a problem for the Rockets this season, because both of last year’s outstanding netminders are gone.
Tanner Bonjernoor graduated last spring, and Isaiah Van Noord, who shared time in goal last year, decided to skip his senior season of high school eligibility to play elite junior hockey in the Detroit area.
But Coach Langlois said goaltending could actually be a strength, due to the return of Mark Stewart, who was the third goalie last year and has continued to develop, and the arrival of sophomore transfer Huck VanDyke, whose father was apparently a goalie for R-P years ago, according to Langlois.
Connor Stawski
“We have two guys who can fill those shoes (as goalies) very easily,” the coach said. “Huck and Mark Stewart are going to battle weekly for that spot.”
Langlois knows fans will be expecting a lot from the team this season, and he welcomes that.
“The buzz in the community is unbelievable,” he said. “The expectation is pretty high, but it’s not stressful. I am excited about the group we have.”
