DIDSBURY — The Mountain View Colts’ strong start this season can be attributed, at least in part, to a new power play system instituted this year, says first-year coach Dan Visser.
The Colts have started the 2022-23 Heritage Junior B Hockey League season with a 5-2 winning record.
Visser took over the coaching duties this season after serving as an assistant under long-time coach Gord Olsen, who is now an assistant coach with the Didsbury-based team.
The new power play involves running what is called a 1-3-1 system, Visser explained.
“A lot of professional teams, NHL teams, use that one,” he said. “We have one player basically at the point and three in the middle and one out front. The one right out front will drop down to the side of the net or behind the net if we need that. It is working for us.
“We have a good group of core players and some good, young talent coming up; I think everything is coming together, especially with the power play starting to work.”
Several players are leading the charge so far this season, he said.
“The line of Steven Bell, Paton Rothenbusch and Hayden Sotheran is really starting to put things together now,” he said.
“All the lines are pretty strong right now, so I can pretty well roll the lines right through, which is nice.”
The team’s two netminders – Chance Griffith and Shayne Price – have also been key to the team’s early strong start, he said.
“They are both doing very well,” he said. “With Chance, he’s been around a bit now so he’ll get the bulk of the games but it is also nice to see Price step in and win us a few games.”
Visser said despite the strong start, the team is also always looking for ways to improve.
“I think we are going to keep working on things,” he said. “The coaching staff is going to keep working. We are not going to stop improving.”
Asked if there is one particular area where improvements are needed, he said, “We need to improve on our defensive zone play. It is coming, but we are working on that.”
Paton Rothenbusch is the Colts’ 2022-23 captain. His brother Laine was the Colts’ captain last year.
