Spitfires gain valuable experience

by Mitchell Brandner

A couple of Windsor Spitfires have returned with some extra hardware after the holidays.

Spitfires defenceman Patrick Sieloff and forward Alexander Khokhlachev each received a medal at the World Junior Championships in Ufa, Russia.

Sieloff won gold with Team USA after a 3-1 win in the finals against Sweden. He finished the tournament with one assist and was counted on to be solid defensively. After a battle with Boston University defenceman Matt Grzelcyk for that last spot, Sieloff was eventually named the final player on the roster.

“It came down to me and another kid (Grzelcyk) after the first game,” said Sieloff. “It was hard sitting there thinking about what they (management) were saying. It was a matter of what they needed and my name was called.”

Many of the top players in the NHL have played in this tournament including Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. While playing in the World Junior Championships doesn’t guarantee that a player will make the NHL, playing against the best junior aged competition in the world can certainly help the player to improve.

“It builds my confidence up,” said Sieloff. “Not every kid gets a chance to play on that team and play in that competition level. For me to get there was awesome.”

Khokhlachev won bronze this year, but it’s not his first time medaling at the World Junior Championships. Khokhlachev was part of the Russian team that won silver at the 2012 tournament. Because this was his second tournament he was counted on to be a leader for this year’s Russian team.

“It was awesome,” said Khokhlachev. “Every country has their best players so it’s really hard to play there.”

With the added pressure of playing in his home country, the tournament was even more difficult for Khokhlachev than it was for most of the other countries’ players. He finished the tournament with five points in seven games.

“Being home made it really hard for us with the media and everything,” said Khokhlachev.

Sieloff and Khlokhlachev weren’t the only two Spitfires to play in an international tournament over the holidays. Rookie Josh Ho-Sang represented Team Ontario in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Though Team Ontario finished in fifth place, Ho-Sang finished the tournament with five points in five games.

“It was a good experience,” said Ho-Sang. “There was lots of learning.”

International tournaments are so short it makes it difficult for the coaches to learn about their players. Finding the best roles for each player is a long process and when a team is put together that quickly players have to fit into roles that they aren’t necessarily comfortable with.

“You kind of get a grasp of how lucky you are on your actual team,” said Ho-Sang. “Your coach puts you in situations that you may not be put in there and that entitlement that you feel like you have on your team gets thrown away.”

Though the fifth place finish was disappointing, Ho-Sang said it’s out of his control and he has to focus on the future. Ho-sang made the best of the situation by producing at a point-per-game pace.

“It develops a respect for your coaches and the team you’re a part of,” said Ho-Sang. “It sets you up to understand that you have to work for everything you get in your life. It’s a fresh start when you go, you have no rank. You have to work your way up.”

Now that the players are back in Windsor the focus is on the playoff race. The Spitfires currently trail the Saginaw Spirit by six points for the final playoff spot and with 26 games remaining every point is crucial. Having these three players back has given the Spitfires a boost and they have taken seven out of a possible eight points in the last week.

“The guys have picked it up,” said Ho-Sang. “With the team we have I’m completely confident with everyone that’s a part of it.”