Ottawa, Ont. —
This Thursday marks the start of Week 3 in the Central Canada Hockey League, and two weeks of play have done little to separate the pack.
Just three of the league’s 12 teams sit more than a game off .500, and there appears to be even more top-to-bottom parity in the CCHL this season: 10 of last week’s 12 games were decided by two goals or less.
A busy week saw Kanata make a shock change behind the bench, while a number of minor, single-player trades occurred with teams from outside the league: Kemptville’s Vincent Roy headed to the QJHL, while Nepean’s Ben Sellars is Cobourg-bound in the OJHL.
Storylines
- Here comes Hewitt — The firing of ambitious head coach Jeff Jordan by the Kanata Lasers raised the eyebrows of many around the league. The ship is now in the command of ex-Grads head coach Nathan Hewitt, who will have to adjust quickly as Kanata faces three tough tests in Carleton Place (1st), Hawkesbury (4th) and Rockland (2nd) this weekend. How the Lasers — who were 3-2 and playing well under Jordan — respond to the change will be interesting to see.
- Logjam — Just six points separate first-place C.P. from last-place Kemptville, and with every team playing at least two games this week, that gap could get larger or even smaller. No team wants to risk falling behind this early, and Carleton Place’s loss last Sunday to Kemptville ensured they aren’t that far ahead of the pack just yet.
- Raiders struggling — Since beating Kemptville at the showcase back on Sep. 3, the Raiders have been on a downward trend. Third-period collapses against Kanata and Pembroke in their last two outings have heightened early-season pressure, making this week’s games against Kemptville (Fri.) and Smiths Falls (Sun.) all the more important.
Games to Watch
Thursday: Carleton Place (4-1-0) at Kanata (3-2-0) | 7:30 p.m., Kanata Rec Complex | Nathan Hewitt’s first game behind the Kanata bench will be intriguing for a number of reasons; beyond Hewitt’s return to the CCHL, it features two of the league’s early top-half teams — including a C.P. squad looking to right the ship after last week’s disappointing loss to Kemptville. Much drama.
Friday: Nepean (1-4-0) at Kemptville (1-4-0) | 7:30 p.m., North Grenville Municipal Centre | The battle of the league’s two bottom teams could prove to be a desperate slugfest on Friday night in Kemptville. The 73’s shook off their showcase woes with a statement victory against C.P. last week, while Nepean will be looking to snap their three-game skid.
Sunday: Brockville (3-2-0) at Pembroke (3-2-0) | 7:00 p.m, Pembroke Memorial Centre | Both Jesse Winchester’s Braves and Dale McTavish’s Lumber Kings have enjoyed strong starts to the 2017-18 season; Brockville has done it on defence, while Pembroke’s success has come in the offensive zone. What happens when opposites collide?
