2008-2009 GMHL schedule released

The Nipissing Alouettes will open the 2008-2009 GMHL schedule on the road as they pay a visit to Gravenhurst to take on the South Muskoka Shield on Friday September 5th. The home schedule starts off on Sunday September 14th in Verner as the Als host the Innisfil Lakers. The month of September will be a busy one for the Alouettes as they play a total of 8 games, 5 of them at home. Click here to check out the rest of the schedule.

Posted August 7th 2008

Alouettes looking for billets

The Nipissing Alouettes are in need of billet homes for players for the 2008-09 season. If you are interested in billeting, please contact Gerry St-Onge at gstonge@nipissingalouettes.com. For more info on billet homes, please click here.

Posted August 4th 2008

Main camp and tournament info

The Nipissing Alouettes Players are also trying to ice a prospects team to play in a Canlan Ice tournament in Toronto. The tournament will be held on the August 8th weekend. All players interested in playing in the tournament must fill out this registration form and email it to GM Denis Champagne at dchampagne@nipissingalouettes.com.

The dates for the main camp in Verner have also been announced. Check the tryout section for more details.

The Als have already committed to 10 solid players for the upcoming season. Greg Hyde, Brett De Lorenzi and Steve Garcia, the Als' first three selections in the GMHL draft have already committed to the team. Another player, Robin Mendelsohn recently played for the bronze medal winning Team Canda Under-18 entry in the World Junior Olympics roller hockey tournament in Philadelphia. The management team says they are very pleased with the composition of the team so far and the next few camps will help round out the team which should make for a very competitive squad come September.

Posted July 8th 2008

Alouettes 1st round pick pays a visit


California native Brett De Lorenzi poses for a photo with Alouettes G.M. Denis Champagne at the North Bay Holiday Inn Express on Friday morning. De Lorenzi was the Als second 1st round pick in the June GMHL Draft held in Shelburne, Ontario. Photo by Chris Dawson.

The Nipissing Alouettes rolled out the welcoming mat for one of their top draft picks on Friday.

Brett De Lorenzi, a first round pick - 11th overall - by the Alouettes this spring came up with his family to visit the area over the weekend.

The 18-year-old defenceman just finished up his final year of Midget with the California Cougars who played in a Midget ‘A’ league last season in the Golden State.

“It’s pretty much a new experience, I’m excited to play in the GMHL, it’s kind of a shock that I’m actually here and I never thought someone from California could go this far away and now I’m just getting ready for new things,” said De Lorenzi, who was familiar with Mike Lawler and Jon Drake, two Northern California players who spent some time with the North Bay Skyhawks.

De Lorenzi hopes to contribute right away and describes himself as a physical puck-moving defenceman. Alouettes heach coach Lui Ricci likes De Lorenzi’s chances of being in his top pair on the blue line this fall.

“He has a heavy shot and he’s big and strong. That’s something we lacked last year. In the third period we were pushed around,” Ricci said soon after the June draft.

Alouettes General Manager Denis Champagne acted as the host, taking the De Lorenzi’s around North Bay and of course Sturgeon Falls.

“We’ll show him the arena and let him meet some different people in the community and we’ve got some interviews set up with the media. We are going to keep him pretty busy and hopefully he can get some rest and relaxation also,” said Champagne.

Source: Chris Dawson, www.baytoday.ca

Posted July 5th 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

 

 

 


 

Divisional realignment for GMHL

The GMHL has opted for two divisions starting in the fall. The motion to divide into the league into two divisions was put forward by a few clubs. The divisions would look like this.

Northern Division 
 Southern Division
Elliot Lake Bobcats
Espanola Kings
Nipissing Alouettes
South Muskoka Shield
Oro-Medonte 77's
Minden Riverkings
Brock Bucks
Ville-Marie Dragons

Bradford Rattlers
Innisfil Lakers
King Wild
Richmond Hill Rams
Toronto Canada Moose
Tamworth Cyclones
Deseronto Storm

The North division teams would play each team within their own division 4 times (28 games total) and playing each team in the other division twice - one home and one away (14 games total) amounting to 42 games.  Add in the College Showcase (which will be held in Toronto at the start of the season), and you now have a 43 game regular season schedule. This realignment should make for some interesting rivalries for the Alouettes.

Posted June 18th 2008

Alouettes draft 12 new players


Alouettes GM Denis Champagne (left) and head coach Lui Ricci (right) welcome the newest member of the Alouettes family, defenseman Greg Hyde

The Nipissing Alouettes management and coaching staff are pleased to announce that with some hard work and persistence at the draft table, at moving up in the draft list, through trades and interviewing players they have landed some very good skilled young talent with much needed size to compete for roster spots on this year’s edition of the Alouettes. With the second overall pick, the Alouettes drafted Australian defenseman Greg Hyde. At 6'3", this 1989 born player will surely help bolster the Als defensive core. With the 11th overall pick, the Als went back to defense selecting Brett Delorenzi from the California Cougars. Still in the first round, the Alouettes selected 1993 born forward Steve Garcia from Fort McMurray AB. At 6' and 6'3" respectively, Delorenzi and Garcia will both bring much needed size to the Als lineup. Click here to see the draft results.

Als add local flavor

The Alouettes picked up 2 players from the now defunct Temiscaming Royals, one being North Bay's Chris Hebert who was second in Royals scoring this season with 54 points.  Marc Desgagnés (Timmins ON) was the other Royals player selected by the Als.  The Alouettes also added a few North Bay Trappers in Roch Pellerin (Verner ON) and Adam Marceau (North Bay ON).  They also added North Bay's Tyler Miller who spent this season with the midget AAA New Liskeard Cubs.  Finally, the Alouettes also selected Justin Huyke from the Widdifield Wildcats and North Bay Skyhawks forward Nick Brunette.

Posted June 10th 2008