The Delta Ice Hawks got a taste of why stacking your line-up with too many veterans isn't always a recipe for a success in the Pacific International Junior Hockey League.
The Ice Hawks were sailing along with one of the top records in the PIJHL, but it was also evident they had lost ground to their ultimate measuring stick - the Richmond Sockeyes.
The defending champions and arch rival had defeated Delta in three straight games and head coach Dave McLellan had seen enough when Richmond continued its dominance with a 5-1 victory in Ladner back on Nov. 22.
It would be the last start in net for veteran goaltender Doug Birks who was eventually released, while 20-year-old Sam Vikich was shipped to the North Delta Devils in exchange for 18-year-old stopper and South Delta Minor alumni Alex Anhert. The Ice Hawks also traded for another 18-year-old homegrown player - Grange Gordon - and signed 17-year-old twins Spencer and Scott McHaffie.
The extra bodies resulted in some veterans suddenly being game day scratches.
The Ice Hawks had cre-ated the competitive environment they had hoped for and will enter 2012 having won eight of their last nine games. Delta entertains the Grandview Steelers on Tuesday at 7: 30 p.m.
"We wanted to change the culture of the (dressing) room a little bit. We sort of felt we had a bit of a country club mentality in there," said McLellan. "Part of the idea of bringing in more youth is to add some enthusiasm.
When you have an older team, sometimes the pressure behind (those key players) in the line-up is helpful and that was the idea there."
When he returns from an injury, 17-year-old rookie Glenn Ferguson will be the team's number one goalie, a job he earned by basically outplaying Birks in games against the Sockeyes.
"We knew we needed a goalie that could change the outcome against Richmond and unfortunately we just weren't seeing that," continued McLellan. "Ferguson has shown a great presence in net and our instincts told us we had to go with the younger guy."
With the club unlikely to make further moves prior to the Jan. 10 roster freeze, McLellan added the team will be paying attention to detail over the final 14 regular season games, leading up to the playoffs.
"We have to get into playoff mode in January and that will be our mindset," he said. "We will be refining our system a bit and do some drill work that will help with that.
"We have a two month window to get it going."
