Avon Old Farms finished on top of the prep hockey world last March when it took down Cushing, 3-1, in the Elite 8 title game.
But head coach John Gardner knows he can't let this season's team get complacent off last year's success. He's been around far too long to let that happen.
"Everybody goes, 'How are you going to defend [your title]?' and you don't approach it that way," Gardner said. "We're going to go out and play our best and try to win another championship and I'm going to set the tone right away the first day and say, 'This is a new year. Last year was tough. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from last year and the years before but you guys are a different team this year, different personnel, and you've got to make your own way.
"I don't want you all to think you have to defend."
Gardner is correct. This is a very different looking Avon Old Farms team than the one that skated off the St. Anselm ice in March.
But it could be just as lethal.
Replacing lots of lost scoring
Avon Old Farms was fortunate to have a top line of Joe Connor, Charlie Gollob and Joe Odyniec last season. Connor, a Northeastern commit, led his team in goals (21) and points (43). Gollob, a Brown commit, and Odyniec, a UConn commit, weren't far behind. They were the top three offensive producers on the team.
They all graduated. Connor is playing for the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks, while Gollob (Victoria Grizzlies) and Odyniec (Coquitlam Express) are out west in the BCHL.
Still, Gardner's team won't be struggling for offense this season.
Poised to step up are seniors Lefty Markonidis (Hudson, Mass.), Ryan Flaherty (Milton, Mass.) and Charles Blanchard (West Hartford, Conn.). Alex Pelletier (West Hartford, Conn.), a senior last year, decided to take an extra year at Avon Old Farms, too.
"I thought that was a good thing," Gardner said. "It's actually worked out really well for him because he got to commit to Cornell during split-season, which is awesome. We're looking forward for some big stuff from him this year as well to provide us with some scoring."
Michael Munroe, a junior, will be another vital piece of the offense. The Hanover, Mass., native committed to Maine in August.
Gardner also brought in some recruits to help supplement the scoring. One of those is Cooper Snee. The Franklin Lakes, N.J., native was a star with the North Jersey Avalanche's 16U team last season, posting 66 points in 66 games. He played on the Yale Jr. Bulldogs this fall and recently committed to Providence College.
Along with Snee, Brendan Tighe will look to make an impact. The Brown commit has had a great fall for the Avon Regals and was a standout player with Honeybaked for the last two seasons.
"They're probably the top-of-the-line recruits that we have," Gardner said. "They'll show pretty well as players."
Life without Peck
Last season, Stephen Peck was one of the best goalies in prep hockey, posting a region-best 1.26 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage. He was one of the biggest reasons Avon Old Farms hoisted the Elite 8 title.
Peck graduated after his one year with the Winged Beavers. He committed to the University of Michigan over the summer and is playing for the NAHL's Bismarck Bobcats.
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Michael Heinke (Old Saybrook, Conn.), an '06, was the primary backup to Peck last season and returns for his junior season. He's one option in net.
The other is Anthony Palmer (Winthrop, Mass.). Palmer is one of the standout '07 goalies in the region and was sensational for St. Mary's last winter, posting a 1.48 GAA and .941 save percentage as a sophomore. He will repeat his sophomore year for Avon Old Farms this year.
"It looks like they're going to battle it out for the job," Gardner said. "Or split it. Hopefully just wait and see who plays really well."
Along with Peck, Gardner lost his top defensive pairing in Jack Kennedy (Granby, Mass.) and Jordin Palmer (Auburn, N.H.). Both are playing in the BCHL — Kennedy with the Trail Smoke Eaters and Palmer with the Vernon Vipers.
Fortunately for Avon Old Farms, a lot of strong defensemen remain. Seniors Hudson Miller and Blake Jones are back. The duo were a strong pairing last season. Drew Pitts, also a senior, will be a mainstay on the blue line as well. So will Magnus Turcotte (North Haven, Conn.).
A recruit projected to be impactful on defense is James Odyniec (Wilton, Conn.). An '07, he's the younger brother of Joe and was a strong defender for the Bishop Kearney Selects 15U team last year. It helps that he's coming off a strong fall with the Avon Regals 16U squad.
"He's projected to be a pretty good defensemen for us," Gardner said of Odyniec.
The future of John Gardner
When the puck drops on this season, it will be the start of Gardner's 49th year as head coach at Avon Old Farms.
"I really enjoy working with the kids," Gardner said. "They keep you young, as they say. I enjoy going in and working with them and talking with them and coaching them. ...If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't do it."
So, how does he approach the idea of retiring?
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"Taking it year to year," Gardner said. "At my age, you take it year to year, day by day. People always say 'When are you going to retire?' and I always say 'I don't know yet.' That's the way I feel. Things can change. Sometimes things change, sometimes they don't."
What hasn't changed is that Gardner still has Avon Old Farms as one of the premier teams in prep hockey. And he doesn't seem to be slowing down.
RELIVE THE ELITE 8 CHAMPIONSHIP:
- 5 takeaways from Avon Old Farms' win in Elite 8 championship gameÂ
- How one move by Stephen Peck set Avon Old Farms on course for Elite 8 title
- 5 moments we won't soon forget from NEPSAC boys championships
- All-tournament team from Elite 8
- In photos: Check out the best shots from Avon Old Farms' win over Cushing
