The month of September is to hockey as the month of January is to the calendar……A new beginning.

September is a highly anticipated month for any hockey team, and that was no different for the 2001 Toronto Marlboros. Coming off of a good summer of rest, training, and preparation, followed by a great training camp, the Toronto Marlboros Bantam team was ready to start the season.

Over the month of September, the Marlboros played two tournaments and 3 league games… A total of 13 games. Overall, the team had 9 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie.

Immediately following the two week training camp, the team entered the Toronto Marlboros Friendship Tournament. The team did respectfully well with a 4 and 1 record. Following that were two league game victories, before heading to Stamford, Connecticut for the annual Showdown in Downtown, North American AAA Super Series!

Everyone on the team and associated with the team always looks forward to each game, but the highlight of this past September was the trip to the USA to face-off against some of the very best 2001 hockey teams on the planet! The Showdown in Downtown saw 8 of the top 10 ranked teams in North America participating including: Toronto Marlboros, Shattuck St Mary, Little Caesars, Minutemen Flames, Chicago Mission, Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers, New Jersey Colonials, and the Boston Junior Eagles. Again, the 2001 Toronto Marlboros team did well with a record of 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie… Good for a second place finish in the overall standings.

The month finished off with a tie with the Toronto Nationals. The point totals do not tell the entire story, and had you been at all of those 13 games, you would have seen a team that was producing on almost every shift.

Coach Gialedakis emphasized to the players the importance of their commitment to a routine both on and off the ice; this includes rest and nutrition. The Marlboro’s continued to grow as a team and to develop a camaraderie that emphasizes what teamwork is really about. Gialedakis’ credo set the tone for the team environment; “working on our player’s individual skill development within a team environment will be the key focus of our coaching staff and vital to our growth as a team.” The parents and coaching staff rallied around these great boys to make the environment fun and conducive to achieving this focus and great results.  All were excited about proceeding further into the 2015/2016 season.