Category: Team Stories

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Axemen open up season on the road on Friday

Following an impressive 4-1 pre-season, the Acadia Axemen are ready to hit the ice this Friday in Charlottetown to face the UPEI Panthers in their regular season opener. The Panthers were responsible for Acadia’s only exhibition loss last Friday, a 7-1 defeat in Rustico, PEI.

We caught up with Axemen Head Coach Darren Burns, who shared his thoughts on the upcoming season: “Our team’s greatest strength right now is our commitment and unity. Early signs show a team that utilized the off-season, and it’s helped in our preparation for the start of the season. We’ve built a hard-working, high-character team that’s eager to prove its potential and what they believe they are capable of.”

The Axemen enter the 2024-25 season with plenty of optimism, beginning with a solid foundation in net, where AUS 1st Team All-Star and All-Rookie standout Thomas Couture leads the way.

Acadia also added depth between the pipes, recruiting MHL’s top goaltender Nicholas Sheehan to back up Couture. Brayden Peters continues to recover from surgery, and Jett Miller provides additional goaltending depth for the Axemen.

On defense, the Axemen have strengthened their blue line with the additions of Conor Shortall and Keagan Slaney. They join a dependable group of defencemen that includes Cam Whynot, Charlie Desroches, Tyler Deline, Orie Mainolfi, Brendan Tomilson, and Luke Zazula. Meanwhile, the team bid farewell to former Axemen Hudson Wilson and Morgan Nauss, both of whom graduated last year, and Merrick Rippon, who was forced to retire from competitive hockey due to injuries.

Coach Burns also expressed optimism about the forward group: “We’ve added more depth offensively, which will help us maintain pressure and play at a high pace. We might not be the highest-scoring team, but if we practice offensive play and stay healthy, this will help us without question.”

Up front, the Axemen have bolstered their lineup by adding centre Cam MacDonald for extra scoring punch, while Marc Boudreau brings size and grit. Kian Bell, who led the SJHL in scoring for two consecutive seasons, showcased his talent with three goals in the pre-season. Cam Wiebe adds further depth with his size and two-way play. The team will look to returning leaders Brady Burns and Bailey Peach to spearhead the offense, alongside Brendan Sellan, Liam Kidney, and Ethan Ernst. Cole Nagy, Zack Jones, and Peyton Hoyt will be relied on for their two-way contributions, while Corson Hopwo, Adam McMaster, and Brendan Mairs will be counted on to provide additional offensive support.

Reflecting on the pre-season, Coach Burns commented: “The AUS exhibition season is a good barometer for where your team stands. Teams will evolve and get better, and rosters will get altered throughout exhibition, but we feel confident in what we achieved. With back-to-back games coming up each weekend to start the season, so we felt it was important to do the same in our exhibition schedule to mirror that challenge. Overall, we liked what we saw and feel we accomplished a lot.”

What will the regular season hold for the Axemen? It all kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. You can catch the game live on AUStv.ca or tune in to AVR 97.7FM for Len Hawley’s pre-game show starting at 6:45 p.m. Don’t forget to follow @axemenhockey on X (formerly Twitter) for live in-game updates.

#GoAcadiaGo

Story by Chris Richards

Posted on Posted in Team Stories

Turner to Lead Axemen Goalies and Youth Goalie Programs

The Acadia Axemen have added Valley native, Daniel Turner to their coaching staff as their new goaltending coach. Turner, lives in Halls Harbour with his wife and two kids, and grew up in Kentville, and was the Head Coach of both the U15 and U18 Valley Wildcats between 2010-2015.

 

We asked Dan what drew him to the opportunity at Acadia, and what excites him about the role, he said, “ AUS hockey is one of the best hockey leagues in the country, so it’s a real honour to be part of the coaching staff. Acadia has 3 returning goalies and one new recruit this year, who all come with high praise from Burnsy. It’s a real strength for the program. I’m excited to work with the group and be their person to lean on throughout the year.”

 

Over the past number of years, Turner has strived to increase his expertise through attending a number of world class training events, including:

  • The Roger Neilsen coaching clinic (3x) in Windsor, Ontario
  • Participated in the NHL mentorship program in 2022-23
  • 2023 NHL coaching conference in Nashville
  • 2024 East Coast Goaltending Convention.

Acadia Axemen Head Coach on the addition of Turner to his staff,  “It is very exciting for our program to bring Dan onto our staff. He is an extremely passionate person who intensely studies the position.

To have someone like this who grew up in the Valley makes it a great fit. He knows the importance of the relationship between our team and community. He will be an excellent role model and mentor for our university goalies. At the same time he will have a great impact on our youth goalies in the community. He’s someone that always wants to challenge himself and learn more.”

In terms of what he will bring to the table as the Axemen goalie coach, Turner said, “Goaltending can be a lonely position. Most people in hockey would agree it’s like a different language compared to forward or defencemen. It’s nice for the goalies to have someone on staff they know they can lean on. Someone that can run goalie specific practices each week and an advocate for the group. I hope to fulfill that role for each of our goalies.”